UK chair of coalition into combatting antisemitism hails Australian support
The chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism has hailed the deluge of Australian state and federal MPs and Senators who have signed the London Declaration into Combatting Anti-Semitism.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard signs the London Declaration
British MP John Mann was thrilled by the support from Australia, triggered by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was first to sign it last month, followed by Tony Abbott and the entire federal Liberal Party as well as NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and his Labor counterpart John Robertson plus more than 20 members of the NSW Labor caucus.
“We are delighted by the support of the Australian government and parliamentarians from all sides,” Mann said. “The London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism is a document with clear recommendations to improve the way in which antisemitism is being confronted. We hope that this endorsement from Australia will encourage colleagues in other parts of the world to follow suit.”
There are now more than 400 signatories from more than 60 countries, with the Australian contingent the biggest by far, followed by about 50 Canadians, 18 Brits, six Israelis and two Americans.
Four PMs have signed thus far: Britain’s Gordon Brown and David Cameron, Canada’s Stephen Harper and Gillard.
The declaration resolves to “expose, challenge, and isolate political actors who engage in hate against Jews and target the State of Israel as a Jewish collectivity.” It also endorses the 2005 definition of antisemitism by the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia, which acknowledges that some attacks on Israel can be antisemitic.
