The demand for the replacement of the EU coordinator on combating antisemitism after her pro-Israel claims in an official diplomatic meeting is now coming from Jewish and Israeli organisations as well.
Last week, 29 Jewish and Israeli organisations from across Europe sent an open letter to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, calling for the immediate replacement of Katharina von Schnurbein.
In the joint open letter these Jewish and Israeli organisations from different EU member states stated that they do not support the "extreme-right government of Israel" and are "committed to human rights and democratic principles, anti-racism and respect for international law".
These organisations also wrote that they reject the idea that the fight against antisemitism means "shielding Israel from any form of pressure or criticism" and an "automatic and total advancement of the positions of the current Israeli government."
But for a few other Jewish organisations in Europe who stood up to save von Schnurbein’s mandate, the fight against antisemitism today is exactly this: shielding Israel from any criticism and demands for accountability for its crimes.
The European Jewish Community Center (EJCC) rejected the accusation of a pro-Israel bias of the coordinator, stating that "if defending children who are targeted for being Jewish constitutes a bias, then we must all share in that bias".
But MEPs called for the resignation of von Schnurbein not because she was defending children who are targeted for being Jewish but for defending Israel from a possible suspension of certain parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, or in its entirety, or further restrictive measures against the regime and its officials.
The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) also issued a statement of support in von Schnurbein, also warning that "a vicious, pernicious, fact-distorting and morally abhorrent anti-Israel rhetoric is now emanating from within the EU".
The "anti-Israel rhetoric" this organisation refers to is probably the claim that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
This claim was already a "plausible" risk in January 2024 as was affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its preliminary legal assessment of the case against Israel.
Almost two years later, the genocide in Gaza seems to be very common knowledge. And opposing this genocide is not antisemitism.
Also defending von Schnurbein, the European Jewish Congress (EJC) stated that it rejects "any attempt to discredit her or weaken the fight against antisemitism in Europe", mixing between her personal mandate as coordinator and the fight against anti-Jewish racism in Europe.
According to the European Jewish Congress, the calls for her resignation "cause great harm to European Jewish communities".
Actually, von Schnurbein’s removal from office will actually do us Jews a lot of good.
The next commission’s coordinator on combating antisemitism should differentiate between European Jews and the state of Israel rather than a total confusion between the two.
The next coordinator should clarify to the European citizens how to distinguish between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel.
The current coordinator is obviously unable to draw that line herself.
Her flagrant remarks to EU ambassadors in Tel-Aviv, denying Israel’s well-evidenced forced starvation of Palestinians in Gazans as “rumours about Jews” reveals von Schnurbein’s own antisemitism.
When von Schnurbein describes bake sale for Gaza at the premises of the EU institutions as a form of "ambient antisemitism" even though these activities do not target Jews at all she is actually expressing an antisemitic idea — that anything Israel is doing is somehow the responsibility of Jews as Jews, of Jews as a group.
This is a clear illustration of antisemitism, even according to von Schnurbein’s own definition.
Ironically enough, von Schnurbein just expressed her own racism towards Jews according to her own pro-Israeli biased definition of what it is.
In fact, holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel is one of the 11 illustrative examples of the working definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the same non-binding working definition that von Schnurbein is pushing so hard doing her mandate as the EU antisemitism chief.
But does fighting antisemitism necessarily means standing with Israel, whatever happens?
It might be the German position, for somehow understandable historical reasons.
But this cannot be the official position of the European Commission.
The European Commission must clarify that the EU policy on combating antisemitism does not mean shielding Israel against criticism.
The removal of the current EU coordinator von Schnurbein from her office is a necessary step in this policy shift.
Now this is also a demand coming from the Jewish community itself as well as from Israeli citizens who oppose their extreme-right government and its policies.
These Jewish and Israeli groups reject the political manipulation of the fight against antisemitism to silence criticism against Israel.
The EU should listen to these emerging Jewish and Israeli voices in Europe and replace the EU coordinator on combating antisemitism without delay.
This year, we turn 25 and are looking for 2,500 new supporting members to take their stake in EU democracy. A functioning EU relies on a well-informed public – you.
Dr. Yoav Shemer-Kunz is co-founder of European Jews for Palestine (EJP), and a political scientist, affiliated at the faculty at the University of Syracuse – Strasbourg Center.
Dr. Yoav Shemer-Kunz is co-founder of European Jews for Palestine (EJP), and a political scientist, affiliated at the faculty at the University of Syracuse – Strasbourg Center.