OSCE/ODIHR brings together police and Jewish community representatives to discuss security needs of Jewish communities in Poland

Addressing the needs of Jewish communities in Poland was the focus of a meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 13 February 2018 in Warsaw. The meeting was held in co-operation with the Polish Interior Ministry, the General Police Headquarters of Poland, the Jewish Community of Warsaw and the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland.

The event brought together Polish law-enforcement officials and Jewish community representatives to raise awareness about the issues faced in ensuring security for Jewish communities, to discuss co-operation between law-enforcement agencies and Jewish communities in Poland, and to identify challenges, opportunities and recommendations for future co-operation.

“It is the responsibility of the government to make sure that Jewish communities are safe. At today’s event, we can all jointly discuss how Polish government officials can confront specific challenges posed by anti-Semitism, and how they can build robust partnerships with Jewish communities to address their security concerns,” said Katarzyna Gardapkhadze, ODIHR First Deputy Director.

At the event, ODIHR also launched the Polish version of its publication Understanding Anti-Semitic Hate Crime and Addressing the Security Needs of Jewish Communities – A Practical Guide, which details practical steps that governments can take, in co-operation with Jewish communities, to respond to and prevent  anti-Semitic hate crimes and better address the security needs of these communities.