Antisemitism is not okay; Holy See calls for digital responsibility to curb anti-Semitism in Europe A Holy See representative at the OSCE has called for digital responsibility and education as a means to eradicating anti-Semitism in online discourse. By Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA Anti-Semitism in Europe has been a longstanding issue with deep historical roots that have caused immense suffering for Jewish communities. Amidst this concern, the Holy See has stressed that education, awareness, and responsible use of technology are key components to help eradicate the threat that continues to manifest in various forms today. Education and awareness creation Fr. Domenico Vitolo, Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature to the Nordic Countries, delivered the statement at the annual conference on addressing anti-Semitism in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region on February 11. He expressed the Holy See’s conviction that there can be no effective commitment against antisemitism unless a careful assessment of the problem and a sense of respect for Jewish communities are developed through education. “Only through an appropriate educational approach can anti-Semitism and discrimination be effectively and sustainably combated,” he said. “Ignorance, prejudice and stereotypes contribute to anti-Semitism in our societies,” he said, adding that “education can build a bulwark against them by making our society and in especially children and young people aware of the common responsibility to protect the human dignity of all persons.” Digital responsibility In the age of social media and digital communication, hateful rhetoric, including anti-Semitic content, spreads rapidly and often anonymously. The Holy See stressed the need for individuals, organizations, and governments to take proactive steps to ensure the responsible use of digital platforms. “Anti-Semitic expressions existed long before the digital age, but the internet and the widespread use of social media have led to a fundamental paradigm shift, said Fr. Vitolo. “Indeed, anti-Semitic content on social media has a global audience and can easily go viral through algorithmic amplification, with an unprecedented multiplier effect.” The Holy See statement noted that content creators can hide their identity, a phenomenon worsened by AI that can generate false information to mislead people while resembling the truth. Fr. Vitolo said fighting cyber-hate and AI-generated misinformation is not solely the responsibility of industry professionals but rather demands the involvement of all individuals committed to the greater good. “For technology to uphold human dignity rather than harm it, and to foster peace instead of violence, society must take proactive steps in addressing these challenges, with a focus on safeguarding human dignity and advancing positive values,” he said. Freedom of expression In conclusion, the Holy See representative said people deserve the same rights and protections online as in te physical world. “If the same rights that people have offline are to be protected online,” concluded Fr. Vitolo, “the corresponding duties and responsibilities that people have offline must also be demanded online.” The two-day annual conference focused on the holistic approach taken by the OSCE and its 57 member States to fight intolerance and discrimination against Jewish people and institutions. Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
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AntisemitismCanada In 2026, Tulsa And Panama Are Courting Canadian Jews As Antisemitism Redefines The Cost Of Staying As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels across Canada, Jewish families and professionals are quietly reassessing their futures, and some are being actively courted elsewhere. Ron East By: Ron East December 31, 2025 SHARE A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options as antisemitism intensifies and confidence in public protection erodes. (Image: Illustration.) TORONTO — For generations, Canada sold itself as a country where Jews could thrive without constantly looking over their shoulders. That assumption no longer holds for a growing number of Canadian Jews, particularly in the aftermath of October 7 and the months that followed. What has changed is not only the number of antisemitic incidents. It is the atmosphere. Public hostility has been normalized. Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centres operate under permanent security protocols. Anti-Jewish intimidation is increasingly framed as political expression. Enforcement is inconsistent. Accountability is rare. When Jewish life requires constant risk assessment, mobility stops being a luxury. It becomes a rational act of self-preservation. That reality helps explain why, in 2026, two very different destinations, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Panama, are appearing with growing frequency in serious conversations among Canadian Jews who have the means and flexibility to move. This is not a panic migration. It is a strategic recalculation. Canada’s new warning lights Jewish Canadians represent a small fraction of the population, yet account for a vastly disproportionate share of reported hate crimes. This is not a perception problem. It is a documented pattern. More troubling than the statistics themselves is the message many Jews hear in response: concern, sympathy, and context, but little deterrence. Protests that spill into harassment are tolerated. Jewish institutions are targeted repeatedly. Antisemitism disguised as antizionism is parsed endlessly rather than confronted directly. The result is a slow erosion of confidence in the state’s willingness or ability to enforce equal protection. When a community moves from assuming it belongs to hoping nothing happens today, the social contract has already been fractured. It is within this context that Tulsa and Panama are not merely attracting attention but actively courting. Lech Le’Tulsa and intentional Jewish welcome Tulsa is not presenting itself as a refuge city. It is presenting itself as a place that wants Jewish life to grow. In 2026, that effort has taken concrete form through Lech Le’Tulsa, a Jewish-focused relocation initiative designed to attract Jewish families, professionals, and entrepreneurs to the Tulsa area. The program combines relocation assistance with intentional community building and access to Jewish infrastructure. The name is deliberate. Lech Lecha, the biblical call to go forth and build a future, is not branding by accident. It speaks directly to a Jewish historical instinct that understands movement not as retreat, but as agency. Lech Le’Tulsa offers what many Canadian Jews increasingly feel is missing at home: A clear signal that Jewish presence is welcomed, not merely accommodated Immediate access to synagogues, schools, and Jewish communal life A civic environment where Jewish identity is not treated as a liability The financial incentives matter, but the social architecture matters more. Tulsa is offering a landing ramp. It is saying, we are prepared for you to arrive. That clarity stands in stark contrast to the ambiguity Canadian Jews experience when their safety concerns are acknowledged but endlessly deferred. Panama and the appeal of optionality Panama represents a different but equally rational response to insecurity. For Canadian Jews with international mobility, Panama offers residency pathways tied to investment, business activity, or long-term economic contribution. It also offers something increasingly valuable: optionality. Panama has an established Jewish community, a comparatively lower cost of living, and an immigration framework that openly courts skilled and capital-carrying residents. For some, it is a permanent relocation. For others, it is a second base, a contingency plan, or a future passport pathway. What matters is not the destination itself, but the logic behind the choice. When Jews seek second options, they are not rejecting diaspora life. They are applying historical lessons. Jewish continuity has always depended on redundancy, resilience, and the ability to move before crisis becomes catastrophe. The Zionist lens Canadians prefer to ignore Zionism does not deny the legitimacy of diaspora life. It insists that Jews must never be dependent on the goodwill of others for safety or equality. That lesson was written in blood long before the modern State of Israel existed. Israel institutionalized it at a national level. Individual Jews apply it on a personal level. When Canadian Jews explore Tulsa or Panama, they are not abandoning Canada in anger. They are responding rationally to warning signs. They are building leverage. They are ensuring their children have options. This is what Zionist consciousness looks like outside Israel. It is quiet, pragmatic, and unsentimental. An indictment Canada should take seriously Tulsa and Panama are not superior societies. They are intentional ones. Tulsa is saying, we want contributors, and we are prepared to integrate them. Panama is saying, we want residents and investment, and we have clear legal pathways. Canada, too often, is saying something else entirely: we are sorry you feel unsafe, but the politics are complicated. A serious country does not treat antisemitism as a public relations challenge. It treats it as a threat to civic order. That requires enforcement, deterrence, and moral clarity, including the willingness to name antisemitism even when it hides behind fashionable political language. Until that happens, Canada should not be surprised when Jews quietly explore exit ramps. The bottom line In 2026, the fact that Tulsa and Panama can plausibly court Canadian Jews is not an oddity. It is a warning. When antisemitism reaches levels that fundamentally alter how Jews calculate their futures, movement becomes strategy. History teaches Jews to act before apologies arrive too late. Canada still has time to reverse this trajectory. But time matters. And Jews, having learned this lesson repeatedly, are no longer inclined to wait.
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