ELNET British-Germany Bilateral Dialogue on Antisemitism and Jewish life – April 17-19 2023

London, UK – ELNET (European Leadership Network) held its first Britain-Germany bilateral dialogue this April 17-19, to discuss ways and means to combat Antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Europe.

The discussion focused on the importance of learning lessons from history and how to combat the spread of hatred towards the Jewish community. With a focus on how Western capitals could best work together to combat hate and hold true to their democratic values; the dialogue covered various topics, including education, multiculturalism, security, and interfaith relations. Participants shared their experiences and knowledge, highlighting best practices and potential solutions.

ELNET UK’s Executive Director, Joan Ryan said, “We believe that dialogue and cooperation between countries are essential in tackling antisemitism and promoting Jewish life in Europe. This bilateral dialogue with Germany was an excellent opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other’s best practices.”

ELNET Germany’s Executive Director Carston Ovens said, “this week we commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Looking at the past reminds us again and again to fight antisemitism in all its forms. This requires an united effort of all nations. A deeper exchange between Germany and Great Britain in the fight against antisemitism is therefore an important step – many more have to follow.“

Michael Rubin, Director of the Labour Friends of Israel noted, “It has been a fascinating and moving trip. Yesterday we went to the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin which was incredibly powerful … It has been a very thought-provoking couple of days and a fantastic opportunity to learn about some of the things that are happening in Germany and the best practices that we can take back to the UK and meet with colleagues in Germany to discuss our shared challenges. Thank you again to Elnet.”

Dr Usama Hasan from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said, “It was an honour to be part of the UK delegation on behalf of the Tony Blair Institute  to Berlin for the first ever British-German dialogue on antisemitism, coinciding with Yom Hashoah and the blessed days of Ramadan. Our conversations were in and near the Holocaust Memorial and the Reichstag/Bundestag. This brought home the importance of fighting anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry, because these can seem small at first but sadly and terrifyingly lead to genocide.”

The dialogue concluded with a commitment from all parties to continue the conversation and work together to combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life both in Europe and globally so that History would not repeat itself.

ELNET UK and ELNET Germany plan to hold more bilateral dialogues in the future, focusing on different topics related to European Jewish life.