Anti-Semitism to be punished more severely
In the 1930s Romania was home to over 750,000 Jews. Today, about a hundred years later, their community numbers less than 2,500.
Roxana Vasile, 10.09.2025, 14:00
In the 1930s Romania was home to over 750,000 Jews. Today, about a hundred years later, their community numbers less than 2,500. In other words, during the interwar period, Romania had the third largest Jewish community in Europe, after Poland and the USSR. The historical events that followed, at national and international level, left their mark on the existence of this national minority. The Holocaust, as it is well known, had devastating consequences. Many of the survivors emigrated to Israel or to other countries, so the Jewish community in Romania shrank significantly. Those who remained, continued to be an integral part of the country’s history and identity, contributing to its cultural, social and economic life. Most of them are located in Bucharest, but also in Iași, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara.
Last year, the Government launched the 2024-2027 National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Radicalization and Hate Speech. The document, as stated at the time, was a continuation of the exercise begun by implementing the previous strategy (2021-2023). “Antisemitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech are threats that can structurally affect society, by eroding respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. However, developing societal resilience to these dangers requires a complex approach and a solid partnership between the state, civil society and academia,” reads the preamble of the document, welcomed by MP Silviu Vexler, president of the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania.
Recently, at his initiative, the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary adopted – as the decision-making body in this case – a bill punishing the initiation or support of organizations with a fascist, legionary, racist or xenophobic character, with up to 10 years in prison. Those who make such materials available to the public, by any means, risk between 1 and 5 years in prison with the prohibition of certain rights, and promoting the cult of persons guilty of genocide or denying the Holocaust will be punished with up to 3 years in prison. Why was there a need to tighten the legislation in this field? Silviu Vexler explains: ʺFirst of all, the massive spread within society and especially in the online environment of anti-Semitic materials, excessively promoting war criminals from the Holocaust period as national heroes and, at the same time, the alarming increase in anti-Semitic incidents nationally, is one reason. Another reason was the dysfunctions in the legislation that was already in force for over 20 years, not adapted to the current situation. ʺ
The reality in society did not require new, harsher regulations with a real potential to restrict freedom of expression, according to other MPs. In the opinion of some MPs from the nationalist opposition, there is no anti-Semitic current or anti-Semitic organization in Romania. Silviu Vexler: ʺI see absolutely no restriction of the freedom of expression. Including in numerous cases that have been before the European Court of Human Rights, it has been established very clearly that what constitutes anti-Semitism and the promotion of the cult of war criminals, restricting these things that affect entire societies, which affect democracy itself, does not represent a restriction of freedom of expression. Furthermore, I provided examples that, by the way, are public, regarding the existence of anti-Semitic incidents on Romanian territory. It is very true that there were no incidents as serious as there were in other countries, but that does not mean that there were not extremely difficult situations, that there are not extremely difficult and dangerous situations. However, you always take measures in advance, when you anticipate and not when you have to respond. From the vandalism of cemeteries, of synagogues, repeated threats directed against members of Jewish communities, and the list goes on.ʺ
The purpose of the bill – its initiator also said on Radio Romania – is not to ban any writer, any books or work of art: ʺThe law very clearly provides for the differentiation between the cult of persons responsible for committing the Holocaust in Romania, for example, and what art, culture, science, education and so on mean. The main danger brought by the lack of knowledge, the lack of sanctions, the fact that the population in general sees that extremely negative things are happening that should be sanctioned and are not sanctioned for various reasons is that all these things, all these feelings and ideas become normal again. Now, this does not only affect Jews, only Jewish communities, it affects the entire society. Extremism is a danger, regardless of the type of extremism. Whether it is anti-Semitism or of another nature, it is a danger for democracy itself and for every citizen of Romania.ʺ
The law, as it was adopted – it was said in the Chamber of Deputies – is, in fact, an expression of freedom according to the well-known principle that someone’s freedom ends where the freedom of those around them begins. (EE)
