House lawmaker urges State Department assessment of rising anti‑Semitism in Europe

A House lawmaker urged colleagues to approve legislation directing the State Department to assess growing anti‑Semitism in Europe and to press allied governments to cooperate in stemming the violence.

The lawmaker said, "This threat skyrocketed after Hamas's October 7th terrorist attack," and cited a string of statistics and violent incidents across Europe that he said demonstrate the problem's scope. He told the House that France recorded more than 1,000 anti‑Semitic incidents in a single month and that Germany experienced a 240% increase; he also cited a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights study finding up to a 400% rise in anti‑Semitic activity since Oct. 7 and saying 96% of surveyed European Jews reported encountering anti‑Semitism in their daily lives.

The bill, the lawmaker said, would require a State Department assessment of the growing threat and direct the Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs to engage with countries identified as ‘‘of concern’’ and to use diplomatic channels to seek cooperation. "After this assessment, the Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs will engage with European countries that are identified as countries of concern to say you've got to cooperate with us to deal with this rising anti‑Semitism problem," he said.

To illustrate the human toll, the lawmaker described violent incidents including a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue on Oct. 2, 2025, that killed two people; a Feb. 11 assault in Paris on a 13‑year‑old Jewish boy; arson in London that destroyed ambulances operated by a Jewish charity; explosions near an Orthodox Jewish school in Amsterdam and a historic synagogue in Belgium in March 2026; and stabbings on April 29 that included one American victim.

The sponsor said the legislation builds on previous administration efforts to combat anti‑Semitism, "ensures continuous U.S. diplomatic engagement with European allies," and requires regular consultations with Congress. He thanked "the sponsor of this bill, Mr. Fine," and said the measure "passed the Foreign Affairs Committee with broad bipartisan support." The lawmaker urged colleagues to advance the bill on the House floor that day and concluded by invoking the phrase, "Never again."

The measure has cleared the House Foreign Affairs Committee; the lawmaker urged floor consideration and then yielded back the floor.