LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), a London resident, has called on world leaders to do more to tackle hate, anti-Semitism and global terror. The events in Tunisia this week are further examples of the urgent need to tackle radicalism and intolerance.
Commenting, Mr Kantor said:
“I hope that Governments around Europe will support the appointment of a European Union Special Envoy and Task Force on Antisemitism”.
"It is time for European leaders to prioritise security over economics and take the threat of terrorism more seriously. If Islamic state succeeds, a Grexit, or Brexit, or any other exit will be irrelevant as we will be facing far graver and more dangerous challenges."
The European Jewish Congress is the representative organization of European Jewry.
Mr. Kantor has just been awarded the Officier de la Légion d'Honneur (Officier of the Legion of Honour) by the President of France Francois Hollande.
The award is the highest decoration in France, established by Napoleon Bonaparte. For two centuries, it has been presented on behalf of the Head of State to reward the most deserving citizens in all fields of activity.
The award was bestowed on Dr. Kantor at the Elysee Palace by President Hollande for leading the fight against Antisemitism, racism, intolerance and xenophobia, promoting interfaith relations and a more tolerant Europe in his role at the European Jewish Congress, the democratically-elected umbrella organization representing European Jewry.
President Hollande called Dr. Kantor "a man of peace, a man of culture, a friend, and a friend of France."
"You are an inspiring person in the Jewish world, a great figure of the Jewish People in Europe, heading a major institution, the European Jewish Congress, which today represents 42 communities," President Hollande said before bestowing the award. "You and the EJC are promoting Jewish culture, interfaith dialogue and tolerance, fighting Antisemitism and racism and preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Because all of these reasons, all of these values – your fight against Antisemitism and for peace, and for your love of France – we honor you here today."
“I am humbled by this honor,” Dr. Kantor said after receiving the award and spoke about the importance of it.
“I see this award as a testament to the French Government’s commitment to French and European Jewry,” Dr. Kantor said. “It has been a very challenging year for Jews in France, but I know that the French Government is making great efforts to protect our communities and return them to a semblance of normalcy.”
Mr. Kantor is also President of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, an organisation to which Tony Blair was recently appointed Chairman.