Chamber of Deputies condemns antisemitism

The Chamber of Deputies condemned anti-Semitism and refused to question Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. The resolution also opposed calls for a boycott of Israel. According to Jan Bartošek (KDU-ČSL), the lower house of the parliamentary meeting on the growing anti-Semitism, the lower house showed that the Czech Republic is on the side of its allies and its Middle East partner.

The Chamber of Deputies urged the Czech government to oppose all forms of anti-Semitism. The Cabinet should oppose monetary support for any movements calling for a boycott of Israel.

“Anti-Semitism is a growing problem in Europe, and no society is immune,” said Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek (CSSD). He also said that the Czech Republic recognizes all international laws concerning the Middle East peace process. “Our long-term position is that we see the emergence of two states, the state of Israel and the future state of Palestine, as the only possible solution,” he added.

The original motion for a resolution, as introduced by Bartošek at the last meeting, explicitly mentioned the BDS movement (Boycott, withdrawal of investments and sanctions). The Foreign Committee subsequently modified the proposal into a more general form.

Some Members have criticized the resolution to link anti-Semitism to political goals, in this case, the boycott of Israel. Frantisek Navrkal (Pirates) pointed to a letter from a group of Jewish academics to the deputies in which they raised objections to the proposal because of the merger.