The U.N. Third Committee met in New York on November 26th and approved several texts to be taken up by the General Assembly before Christmas. Among others, the Committee passed a proposal on a global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The recommendation express the U.N. deep concerns about the glorification of the Nazi movement, neo-fascism, neo-nazism and former members of the Waffen SS organizations. Warnings include the erection of monuments and memorials and the holding of public demonstrations for the glorification of the nazi-fascist past and the Nazi movement. Moreover, it underlines the anxiety about recurring attempts to desecrate or demolish monuments erected in remembrance of those who fought against Nazism during the Second World War, as well as to unlawfully exhume or remove the remains of such persons.
Although the text of the proposal looks perfectly in line with the apprehensions already expressed by several International Antifascist Organizations, on the increase in the number of racist incidents and the resurgence of racist and xenophobic violence targeting persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, the draft resolution was approved by only 121 countries, with 55 abstentions.
During the discussions, Israel’s representative recalled that his people had always been the victims of racism, but despite an urgent need to tackle racism, certain countries had politicized the issue. Hence, his delegation had no choice but voting against the draft resolution.
The representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said no region was racism-free and regretted that the text remained too focused on meetings, reports and negotiations rather than taking concrete actions, thus calling EU countries to abstain.
Both declarations leave a bad taste, considering that Nazism and neo-fascism shall be a major concern for all countries worldwide and, even more, for an international institution such as the European Union, whose roots have to be found in the Resistance war against Nazi fascism. The international antifascist community is astonished and deeply regrets the choice of all UE Member States to abstain during the vote of this proposal. It is a clear lack of courage, and an outrage to the People who suffered and gave their lives to fight against Nazi fascism.
The European Union’s Governments shall now explain why they have all decided to abstain on a Proposal that called to adopt further measures to provide specific training for the police and other law enforcement bodies on the ideologies of extremist political parties and movements; a compulsory solution to strengthen their capacity to address racist and xenophobic crimes. Likewise, as the Proposal calls to enhance investments in education – to counter the negative influence of extremist political parties, movements and groups – it is hard to understand why these measures should not be enforced in a Europe so deeply stricken by a moral and economic crisis.
It is a lost occasion for Europe, and a very bad start for a brand new European Union, already weakened by the score obtained by extreme right parties at the last May elections.

Die Internationale Föderation der Widerstandskämpfer (FIR) – Bund der Antifaschisten, die Dachorganisation ehemaliger Partisanen, Kämpfer gegen den Faschismus, Angehöriger der Anti-Hitler-Koalition, Verfolgter des Naziregimes und Antifaschisten heutiger Generationen hat mit großer Betroffenheit die Nachricht von dem Anschlag auf eine Synagoge in Jerusalem erhalten.
Wir verurteilen diese Gewalttat, die durch keine politische Verzweiflung oder andere Begründungen legitimierbar ist. Diese Gewalttat ist ein großes Hemmnis, auf dem Weg einer friedlichen Lösung des Konfliktes im Nahe Osten voranzukommen.
Solche Angriffe auf Gotteshäuser und Gläubige führen zur Eskalation und liefern denjenigen, die auf beiden Seiten des Konfliktes gegen eine Verständigung eintreten, die Stichworte, um Gewalt mit Gewalt zu beantworten.
Wir fordern ein unverzügliches Ende der Gewalt im Nahen Osten. Wir rufen die politisch Verantwortlichen in den palästinensischen Gebieten auf, alles in ihrer Macht stehende zu tun, solche Formen individuellen Terrors zu verhindern, damit die Bewohner Israels ohne Angst leben können.
Wir rufen die politisch Verantwortlichen in Israel auf, dieses Verbrechen nicht durch eigene verbrecherische Maßnahmen gegen die palästinensische Zivilbevölkerung zu beantworten.

Der Frieden Nahen Osten kann nur auf der Basis der Beschlüsse der Vereinten Nationen hergestellt werden – eine militärische Lösung ist unmöglich. Wir versichern unseren israelischen Mitgliedsverbänden unser Mitgefühl und unsere volle Solidarität.

On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the beginning of the WWI on August 1, 1914 and the 75^th anniversary of the aggression of Hitler’s Germany on Poland on September 1, 1939, the beginning of WWII, the International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR) – Association of Anti-fascists, the umbrella association of organizations of former resistance fighters, partisans, members of the anti-Hitler coalition, persecuted by the Nazi regime and anti-fascists of today’s generations from twenty-five countries in Europe and Israel calls peace movements, political groups and governments for common activities for a new international policy of peace.

The wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45 were the results neither of „Sleepwalkers“ nor of a „coalition of totalitarian regimes”, but a proof for the fight for imperialist interests, for might and influence in Europe and the world. After the liberation from fascism 1945 the Anti-Hitler-Coalition tried in the decisions of the Potsdam conference and by creating the United Nations to rebuild the international relations and to ban the war out of the life of the peoples. We remind to the fact that forty years ago by political activities of peoples and states in the CSCE – process it has been successful to eliminate the danger of war in Europe.

Since the war against Yugoslavia and the civil war in Ukraine we can see that the danger of war is a reality in current Europe. Although one can hear other words than 1914 or 1939, but the only stakes are also today the penetration of interests of power, regions of influence and – growing up – the dominance and reserves for raw material. For that the military alliance NATO claims for itself a global room for activities – ostensibly for “defence of Western values”, while injuries of human rights, even mass murders are evaluated under the aspects of interests in raw material. Also the right of self-determination of peoples is ignored thereby.

As a “peace-messenger” – appointed by the United Nations – we call the UN, the international organizations and social forces to support initiatives for a new international policy of peace. This includes the recognition of the right of existence of all states and the enforcement of an equitable world economic order. Also the states of the European Union could make their contribution in addition if they reject the militarization of the foreign policy.

In this sense we call peace forces, parties, trade unions and critics of the globalisation, to be active in actions, in voting’s and explanations for a new international policy of peace. The FIR calls its member federations to take part in such initiatives with their historical experiences.

The International Federation of resistance Fighters (FIR) – Association of Antifascists calls the actual government of Ukraine to stop the civil war against the own people in eastern Ukraine immediately. The reports on the military activities – even against civilians – and the announcement of President Poroschenko to take revenge against all “separatists” make it clear that any opposition against the current government should be fought with intensive violence.
Those crimes against the own people are possible because the government of the U.S. and the European Union, which decided in may 2014 every minute a new sanction against Russia, because this country was blamed to support the separatists, now are in a death-mans situation and tolerate in fact these massacres. Should OSCE have a political significance in Europa then it must be proved now and OSCE must do its best to finish the war.
Peace in Ukraine is only possible, if the political and military influence of open fascists and ultra-nationalist forces e.g. the “right sector” or the party “Svoboda” can be stopped. These groups are contrary in their statements and their activities to the values and the basics of a democratic Europe. It cannot be and it is not acceptable, that such groups are in responsible positions of the new Ukraine government. As long as fascists in Kiev are sitting on seats of power no European government should be allowed to give support to the current government in Ukraine.
We call the members of the newly elected European Parliament to draw “red line” on this political issue. Otherwise, the tolerance of fascists could become a model for other European countries.

The election for the European Parliament has shown nationally very different results, which must be especially evaluated by the respective member associations of the FIR and the social forces in the countries concerned. But nevertheless also generalized statements can be made:

1 The different election results in the participating European countries have a common problem: the low turnout. Even in countries where voting is compulsory did not participate in the election of a large number of voters. The lowest turnout has been registreted in Slovenia with less than 20%. The overall result is that the “party of non-voters” has become the real election winner.

This shows that many people have seen no political future for themselves in elections to the European Parliament. Perhaps because they saw no way to be able to take a real impact on the political situation in Europe, perhaps because they have no overall expectations of Europe. Here it is clear that the current policy of the European Union does not meet the needs of the majority of citizens in the member countries.

2 Dramatic are the results of the extreme right and right-wing populist parties in many European countries. In the UK UKIP reached 27.5%, in Denmark the DF 26.6%, in France the National Front 25% and in Austria the FPÖ 19.5% of the votes. These are not “exceptions”, but the visible signs of the political development of extrem right parties. And there are openly fascist and violent Nazi organizations represented in the European Parliament, Jobbik from Hungary (14.7%), from Sweden “Sweden Democrats” (9.7%), from Greece the “Golden Dawn” (9.4%), from Belgium Flaams Belang (4.2%) and from Germany for the first time NPD (1%). This shows that racist ideology, nationalist responses to the crisis experiences and their militant enforcement can actually mobilize a large number of voters.
This also applies in cases where extreme right-wing groups in relation to the last European elections or the recent national elections could no longer reach the previous number of votes. Both Wilders PVV and the Flaams Belang in Belgium lost recognizable voices.

3 The consequences: First, the existing right fractions will in the future occur with greater voting power and second there will be a fraction (with all funds and political influence) which openly advocates right-wing populist and neo-fascist positions. Unlike 2007, this fraction likely to continue indefinitely, because the participants are less guided by nationalist ideology, but of political power interests.

4 Despite all the drama on the extreme right, we can highlight positive that anti-fascist, left-oriented and democratic organizations got more influence – documented by the number of votes – in different countries. This includes the result of “SYRIZA” in Greece, the results of the various parties of the “indignados” in Spain and the Socialist Party in the Netherlands. As a result, the fractions with which the FIR has worked confidently in the past (PSE and GUE-NGL) has been strengthened, which may be a hopeful sign for us.

5 For FIR, the election results have the consequence that we must strenghen our work together with those forces in the European Parliament they are accessible for anti-fascist themes. The support for our call was a good start. It is our responsibility and the task of our member federations to use the possibilities of the results.

FIR asked in various countries candidates of different parties to support the attemps of antifascist movements and our call. We ask everybody to elect on 25 May 2014 those women and men for the European Parliament who support anti-fascist beliefs.

So far, 36 candidates from six parties in four countries have signed this appeal. They are:

Unterstützerliste April 2014

FIR expresses its great concern about the current situation in Europe, where extreme right and neo-fascist forces gain massive influence in countries of the European Union and outside the EU. For example, in Hungary they give the keywords for chauvinistic and racist policy, in Poland they exclude social minorities, in the Baltic states they operate with historical revisionism and in Ukraine – supported by representatives of European govenments, USA and NATO – neo-fascist and far-right forces get great influence in the current administration, which has been formed outside the Constitution law. Such policy is directed against social and national minorities and stands for war and expansionism.

FIR deplore that representatives of the European Union recognize such forces and massively promote such groups. Our idea of Europe is linked with the tradition of anti-fascist resistance, a Europe that ensures the social and political rights of all people. Therefore, we demand a clear attitude of all European authorities against extreme – right tendencies and neo-nazi groups in all European countries.

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Am Vormittag des 16. März 2014 protestierten Antifaschisten aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern auf dem Freiheitsplatz in Riga gegen den geplanten Ausmarsch der SS-Veteranen und ihrer jungen Verherrlicher. Nachdem es noch am Vortag zu massiven und schikanösen Behinderungen gekommen war, trauten sich die lettischen Sicherheitskräfte nicht, dies am Sonntag zu wiederholen, da viele internationale Gäste und eine große Zahl von Pressevertretern anwesend waren.

Am Nationaldenkmal auf dem Freiheitsplatz legten die Antifaschisten, unter ihnen der Präsident der Internationalen Föderation der Widerstandskämpfer (FIR) Vilmos Hanti, der Direktor des Simon Wiesenthal Zentrums Efraim Zuroff, Vertreter der Organisation „World Without Nazism“ und Mitgliedsverbände der FIR aus verschiedenen Ländern, gemeinsam mit den lettischen SS-Gegnern Gebinde zu Ehrern der Widerstandskämpfer und der Befreier Lettlands vom Faschismus nieder, bevor die SS-Veteranen ihren Aufmarsch starteten.

Unfreiwillig unterstützte die Polizei die Protestaktion, da sie die Antifaschisten an dem Platz festhielten, solange die Anhänger der SS vorbeizogen. Damit wurden die gut 1000 Alt- und Neofaschisten mit den Transparenten der Antifaschisten, die diese in Lettisch und Englisch vorbereitet hatten, und den Fahnen der VVN-BdA, der FIR und anderer beteiligter Organisationen konfrontiert. „Dieser gemeinsame Protest gegen SS-Verherrlichung und Geschichtsfälschung ist ein wichtiges Signal europäischer Erinnerungskultur“, kommentierte Vilmos Hanti, Präsident der FIR, die Protestaktion.