“The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has expressed its horror, dismay and deep sadness for the loss of life sustained in the attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels that has left four people dead.

This is a dark and sad day for Australian Jews. The ADC is shocked by this barbaric and hate- filled crime. We join in solidarity with the entire Belgian Jewish community and our thoughts and profound sympathy go out to the grieving families of those who lost their loved ones. We trust that the Belgian government will do all that is necessary to protect its Jewish residents as well as apprehend all the perpetrators of this abhorrent attack and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

This heartbreaking tragedy, two years after the murderous atrocities of Toulouse and Montauban, reminds us once again that antisemitism and violence against Jews in Europe are on the rise and have reached frighteningly high levels. The vicious campaign against Israel and the Jewish people has created a malicious and dangerous atmosphere of intolerance that threatens the safety of every Jewish community in Europe.

The ADC calls on political, communal and religious leaders in Europe to make a concerted effort to confront the scourge of antisemitism and to make the fight against this poisonous racism a national priority. As the ADL Global 100 has recently shown, antisemitism around the world, including here in Australia, is a growing and daunting problem that requires immediate action on many levels.”