Letters | With anti-Semitism on the rise during the pandemic, we can all do our bit to push back

The UN resolution on Holocaust denial adopted in January contains practical measures that countries, individuals and the community can take to counter the disturbing escalation in anti-Semitic rhetoric and attacks around the world

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People enter the Sachsenhausen Nazi death camp through the gate with the phrase “Arbeit macht frei” (work sets you free) in Oranienburg, about 30km north of Berlin, Germany, on January 25. Photo: AP

Published: 2:30pm, 27 Feb 2022

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In a joint effort by Germany and Israel, a United Nations resolution on Holocaust denial was adopted by consensus in the General Assembly last month, very close to the time we marked all over the world, including in Hong Kong, International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

This year’s commemoration of the Shoah of the Jewish people is especially important, mainly due to the disturbing escalation in anti-Semitic rhetoric and attacks around the world since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anti-Semitism takes many forms and has many causes. It has led to the persecution of the Jewish people since antiquity and should have disappeared with the advent of modern human rights. Yet instead of waning, anti-Semitism and its accompanying violence are on the march.

Anti-Semitism can emanate from individuals, religious leaders, societies and governments across the globe, even in places where there are no Jews. Politically, anti-Semitism stems from both the far right and the far left.

Anti-Semitism has always thrived in times of unrest, when conspiracy theories spread and scapegoats are sought.