The acting president of the European Parliament, Gianni Pittela; ministers of the Belgian government, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders; over 20 ambassadors of European countries; Israel’s ambassador; the U.S. ambassador; and dozens of diplomats and representatives of the European Commission, all participated in the memorial event marking the shloshim of the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels.

The event was organized by the European Union’s Union of Jewish Organizations, under the directorship of Harav Menachem Margolin, and the European Jewish Community Center, under the directorship of Rabbi Avi Tawil. The president of Belgium’s Union of Muslim Communities, the president of Brussels’ Jewish community, and the president of the Jewish Museum, where the attack occurred, were also present and addressed the participants.

Acting president of the European Parliament Gianni Pittela spoke, stating that the heinous murder harmed not only the four victims, but all European values. “Unfortunately, this attack is one more bit of evidence to the rise of anti-Semitism, and we must fight it until it is completely eradicated. The European Union is committed to taking every possible step to battle anti-Semitism and xenophobia on the continent,” he said.

Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that Europe must fight with great determination against the phenomenon of hate – including those that appear in social networks – because it has become overwhelmingly clear that words have the power to kill. “We have to increase our efforts to educate against racism, against xenophobia and against hatred in general. Clearly, we have to do more here in Belgium as well; and we will do it,” Reynders promised.

“We are commanded to remember and never to forget the victims, the horrible murder, and the lesson that it brings,” said EJA director Rabbi Menachem Margolin. “It is only by taking concrete steps that this trend can be changed and the phenomenon of anti-Semitism can be reduced. Unfortunately, even today, 70 years after the Holocaust, we must deal with waves of anti-Semitism on this very same continent of Europe.”

The director of the EJA noted that, according to the organization’s statistics, “some 40 percent of European Jews hide their Jewish identity due to growing anti-Semitism on the continent.”

Khalid Haji, the president of the Union of Muslim Communities in Belgium, who also spoke at the event, expressed great frustration over the fact that religious faith has become a source of hatred among people as opposed to being common ground to unite people, communities and religions.

Mrs. Nechama Tawil, who moderated the evening, thanked all the participants for their timely response to participate in the event.

Harav Mendy Pevzner recited the tefillah of Keil Malei Rachamim. At the end of the event, representatives of Israel, France and Belgium were called upon to light memorial candles.