Guterres: Age old blood libel of antisemitism given new life by COVID-19
"With COVID-19, another virus has spread — antisemitism and hatred of many kinds. Age-old blood libels have been given new life."
By TOVAH LAZAROFFUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, US, September 14, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR/FILE PHOTO)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global unity to fight the scourge of antisemitism, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.“With COVID-19, another virus has spread – antisemitism and hatred of many kinds. Age-old blood libels have been given new life,” said Guterres.He spoke upon receipt on Monday night of the World Jewish Congress’s Theodor Herzl Award, in recognition of his role in combating antisemitism.World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, who presented him with the award virtually, said he had been a “voice of fairness and equity” – particularly at the UN, which has been noted for its fixation against Israel.“I want to express our gratitude to you for calling out antisemitism, anti-Zionism and refusing to bow to the pressure of those who seek to isolate, demonize and delegitimize the only Jewish state, Israel,” Lauder said.He presented Guterres with the award on the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, during which Nazis looted and burned Jewish shops, homes and institutions throughout Germany and Austria in 1938.Guterres, who was born in Portugal in 1949, said that for him, the award was very personal.“I came of age in modern Europe as it was recovering from the war. Opposition to the tyranny of fascism was central in the development of my social and political consciousness,” he said.As a native of Portugal, Guterres said his country had its own “dark chapter” in which it persecuted Jews during the Middle Ages as part of the Inquisition, during which Jewish inhabitants were “criminally” expelled.During his tenure as the country’s prime minister, Guterres said he woke to “find ways to atone for Portugal’s part in the xenophobia that was so widespread in Europe at that time.”
Under his guidance, the Portuguese Parliament revoked the expulsion decree. It was “a symbolic step, to be sure, but one that reflected not only the depth of our remorse for the past, but a lesson learned for the future,” Guterres said.He said that while on a trip to Amsterdam, where many of those Jews had fled, he gave a copy of the revocation decree to the Portuguese Synagogue.That building is also a symbol of a “vibrant community,” the descendants of the Portuguese exiles who fell victim to the Nazis during World War II, Guterres said.As secretary-general, he said he has worked to mobilize “a global coalition against bigotry,” including a plan of action against hate speech and another one to protect places of worship.Another initiative called “Verified” was formed in the aftermath of COVID-19 to prevent rampant misinformation, he added.“Disinformation and conspiracy theories have gained alarming ground,” by trafficking in the dehumanization and scapegoating of Jews, Muslims, migrants and refugees, Guterres said.A two-front battle is needed against both “the pandemic and the poison” of hatred, he said.“To see neo-Nazis and white supremacists on the march today is bone chilling,” the secretary-general said. “To see them infiltrating militaries and security establishments heightens the danger further still.”Solidarity is critical to fighting this battle and “we must stand together against hatred in all its forms,” Guterres said.In addition, he reiterated his call for a global ceasefire, and within that context called for a renewal of talks between Israelis and Palestinians.He ended by pledging that, “I will continue to stand with you in the fight against antisemitism and discrimination of every kind.”
