TAKING STOCK: COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE OSCE REGION (PART II) HEARING BEFORE THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION FEBRUARY 7, 2008 Printed for the use of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe [CSCE 110–2–3] ( Available via http://www.csce.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 63–637 PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:52 Jan 25, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 E:\WORK\020708 HAROLD PsN: HAROLD COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS HOUSE SENATE ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida, BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland, Chairman Co-Chairman LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER, RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin New York CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York HILDA L. SOLIS, California JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts G.K. BUTTERFIELD, North Carolina SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey GORDON SMITH, Oregon ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania RICHARD BURR, North Carolina MIKE PENCE, Indiana EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS VACANT, Department of State VACANT, Department of Defense VACANT, Department of Commerce (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:52 Jan 25, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 E:\WORK\020708 HAROLD PsN: HAROLD TAKING STOCK: COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE OSCE REGION (PART II) FEBRUARY 7, 2008 COMMISSIONERS Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 1 Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Co-Chairman, Commission on Se- curity and Cooperation in Europe .......................................... 3 Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Ranking Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ................................. 6 Hon. Hilda L. Solis, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 7 MEMBER Hon. George V. Voinovich, Senator from the State of Ohio ..... 4 WITNESSES Gregg Rickman, Special Envoy for Monitoring and Com- bating Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State ................. 8 Felice D. Gaer, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Inter- national Religious Freedom .................................................... 18 Stacy Burdett, Associate Director, Government and National Affairs, Anti-Defamation League ........................................... 26 Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder, Simon Wiesenthal Center .. 27 Mark B. Levin, Executive Director, National Conference on Soviet Jewry ............................................................................. 29 Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee .................................................. 31 APPENDICES Prepared statement of Hon. Alcee L. Hastings ........................ 36 Prepared statement of Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin .................... 38 Prepared statement of Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Com- missioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Eu- rope ........................................................................................... 39 Prepared statement of Hon. George V. Voinovich .................... 41 Prepared statement of Gregg Rickman ..................................... 44 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:52 Jan 25, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0484 E:\WORK\020708 HAROLD PsN: HAROLD IV Page Prepared statement of Felice D. Gaer ....................................... 51 Prepared statement of Stacy Burdett ........................................ 66 Prepared statement of Marvin Hier .......................................... 73 Prepared statement of Mark Levin ........................................... 76 Prepared statement of Andrew Baker ....................................... 88 VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:52 Jan 25, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0484 E:\WORK\020708 HAROLD PsN: HAROLD TAKING STOCK: COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE OSCE REGION (PART II) February 7, 2008 COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE WASHINGTON, DC [The hearing was held at 2:30 p.m. in room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Chair- man, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, pre- siding.] Commissioners present: Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Chairman, Com- mission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Co-Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Ranking Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and Hon. Hilda L. Solis, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Member present: Hon. George V. Voinovich, Senator from the State of Ohio. Witnesses present: Gregg Rickman, Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State; Felice D. Gaer, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Free- dom; Stacy Burdett, Associate Director, Government and National Affairs, Anti-Defamation League; Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder, Simon Wiesenthal Center; Mark Levin, Executive Director, Na- tional Conference on Soviet Jewry; and Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee. HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS, CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE Mr. HASTINGS. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, let me gather the hearing to order. Welcome to the second of our hearings focused on efforts to combat anti-Semitism within the OSCE region. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first hearing, due to commitments in Florida. I’m pleased that we’ll be continuing the conversation today with key partners from the NGO community. I’m very happy that a little later Senator Voinovich is going to be here and, of course, my Co-Chairman and good friend, Ben Cardin. And I would say Senator Voinovich, were he here, and I will say to him when he’s here, that I hope he continues to join us at Commission hearings. And particularly on February 13, the Finnish OSCE Chair-in-Of- fice, Mr. Ilkka Kanerva, will be before the Commission, and I’m certain what we do here is going to be covering many of the mat- ters that he would bring up. And in addition, I know that they will (1) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:52 Jan 25, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\WORK\020708 HAROLD PsN: HAROLD 2 be on the agenda. For the purposes of our audience, that hearing is going to take place in B–318 in the Rayburn House Office Build- ing at 11 a.m. on February 13. It’s good to see so many familiar event faces here today. Many of you I last saw at the OSCE Mediterranean Partners in Tel Aviv, where we focused on the roles Israel and Arab nations could also play in combating all forms of intolerance. In my talks with President Olmert during that visit, I high- lighted the important role Israel has and continues to play in sup- porting efforts to combat all forms of intolerance within the OSCE region. Looking back from where we started, it is remarkable that we are at a point where OSCE partner states are now looking at issues of tolerance, when just a few years ago we were fighting for OSCE participating States to simply acknowledge that there was a problem. We have indeed come a long way. Obviously, you recognize that the Co-Chair of the Commission, Ben Cardin, has joined us, and I only digress to point out that this Capitol is amazing. I have always thought that was just a mirrored wall, and all of a sudden it has Senators appearing out of it. [Laughter.] During part of this series, we not only heard from the two OSCE experts most closely following trends involving anti-Semitism and related violence, but also of the numerous initiatives, including the personal representatives conferences, educational tools and train- ing programs since our efforts in the beginning in 2002 to raise the profile of these concerns within the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly. In our government, thanks to the work of our Commissioners such as Senator Voinovich and Chris Smith and Senator Cardin and myself, there is now a special envoy to monitor global anti- Semitism within our own State Department. Dr. Rickman, we’re glad that you are able to join us today. It is because of the extraordinary efforts within the OSCE, our own gov- ernment and NGOs, who are in the trenches every day, that I’m deeply saddened by continued reports of hate crimes and other acts of anti-Semitism in the OSCE region. Even with reports of anti-Semitism decreasing in my home State of Florida, vandals brandishing swastikas and other sentiments are still a reminder that we must be ever vigilant, lest the prejudices of some gain foothold, as we are seeing with the surge and growth of extremist groups in other parts of the OSCE region. It has become abundantly clear why the protection of the rights of members of minorities and combating discrimination against those targeted because of their religion, race, national origin or gender are core principles of the Helsinki process and their essen- tial role in sustaining stable, productive, democratic societies. It is my hope that today’s hearing will shed further light on what more we all can do to uphold these principles, as we review and continue our efforts to combat anti-Semitism