Katharina von Schnurbein

Last updated

Katharina von Schnurbein
European Commission coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 2015

Katharina von Schnurbein, MSt, MES, (born 1973) is a German civil servant who is serving as the European Commission's coordinator on "combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life" since 2015. She is the first person to hold this role which currently reports to Commissioner Magnus Brunner, responsible for Internal Affairs and Migrations. During the von der Leyen I term of office (2019–2024), the portfolio was overseen by Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life.

Contents

Personal life

Baroness von Schnurbein was born into an aristocratic family [1] in the German state of Bavaria in 1973. Von Schnurbein is not Jewish. [2] .

Von Schnurbein completed her undergraduate studies in Political Science and Slavonic Studies at Charles University in Prague and at the University of Bonn. She also earned a master's degree in Slavonic Studies from Oxford University in 1997 and a master's degree in European Studies from the Center for European Integration Studies in Bonn in 1999. [3]

She spent the academic year 2017-2018 at the European University Institute in Florence to research on contemporary antisemitism. [4]

Von Schnurbein is married and has four children. [2]

Professional career

After her studies, von Schnurbein briefly worked for a management consulting firm. From 2000 to 2002, she supported the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag in Berlin. [3]

European Commission career

Von Schnurbein began her career at the European Union in 2002 as a communication and later press officer for the EU Delegation in Prague, Czech Republic. Following the European Union enlargement in 2004, she moved to Brussels to serve as spokesperson for European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Špidla. From 2010 to 2015, as an advisor to the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, she coordinated the European Commission’s dialogue with churches, religions, philosophical and non-confessional organizations, as well as think tanks in Germany. This mission was part of Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) providing for the first time a legal basis for an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the EU institutions and churches, religious associations, and philosophical and non-confessional organisations. [5]

Antisemitism coordinator

US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Nick Dean, EU Commission coordinator on combating antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein, and US Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism Ira Forman in Prague (2016) Dean, Von Schnurbein, and Forman.png
US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Nick Dean, EU Commission coordinator on combating antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein, and US Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism Ira Forman in Prague (2016)

In October 2015, the European Commission created the new position of Coordinator on combatting antisemitism in response to rising Antisemitism in Europe. [6] As a career European Commission official, Von Schnurbein was appointed by then First Vice-President Frans Timmermans for the position in December 2015. [7] According to The Times of Israël in 2023, some initially dismissed her as an EU mouthpiece or lightweight. Eight years later, she is almost universally recognized by Jewish community leaders as a quiet but powerful force promoting and delivering ways to foster Jewish life in Europe. [8]

Her key responsibilities are to liaise with European Jewish communities and bodies and to propose and implement policies to address Antisemitism, promote Holocaust education, and foster Jewish life. [6] In 2021 she drafted and together with her team has been implementing the first EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. [9] [10]

In 2022, von Schnurbein argued that Belgian bans on ritual slaughter risked painting the Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe as "medieval". [11] In response, von Schnurbein convened a joint meeting with representatives from the UNAOC, US State Department, OSCE and the European Parliament Working Group on antisemitism, bringing together European Jewish and Muslim leaders as well as EU and member States officials to discuss slaughter based on religious rules in the light of Freedom of Religion. [12]

At an event hosted by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations in 2023, von Schnurbein stressed the importance of cracking down on disinformation on social media platforms in the struggle against antisemitism. Noting that this was especially commonplace during the Covid-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories are catalysts for bigotry against Jews; “Where conspiracy grows, antisemitism has already grown.” [13]

In September 2024, von Schnurbein stated at a United Nations workshop that the current rise of antisemitic events ‘reminds us of the darkest days of Europe’. [14]

In 2025, von Schnurbein stated that anti-Zionism is "the denial of a state for the Jewish people. And that in itself is antisemitic". In reference to the IHRA definition, she explained that holding Jewish collectively responsible for the actions of Israel is antisemitic and that such conflation is fully unacceptable.. [15]

EU action to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life

On 5 October 2021, the European Commission adopted its first-ever EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030). It holds almost 90 actions that prevent and address antisemitism online and offline, ensure security of Jewish premises, help to ensure victim support, ensure Holocaust remembrance as well as education about Jewish life and contribution to Europe as well as the history and contemporary forms of antisemitism. [16]

At the heart of the EU Antisemitism strategy is the declared aim of the European Union to foster Jewish life and to ensure that Jews in Europe can go about their lives in line with their religious and cultural traditions and free from security concerns. The strategy was widely welcomed. [17]

To improve the situation for Jews in Europe and beyond, the European Commission works closely with EU Member States, Jewish communities and organisations as well as other civil society organisations and religious communities. [17]

In 2024, the first progress report on the strategy revealed that 23 EU Member States have adopted and are implementing national strategies on antisemitism, 20 have appointed national envoys and 25 use the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. [18]

Following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, von Schnurbein warned about a “Tsunami of antisemitism”, pointing to the firebombing of synagogues, Stars of David spray-painted onto houses where Jews live and Jewish students attacked on university campuses. [19] [17]

Controversy

According to a leaked internal EU report about a meeting with EU ambassadors in Tel Aviv in May 2025, Katharina von Schnurbein expressed the needs for potential EU sanctions against Israel to be based on factual evidences rather than what as Theodor Adorno called “rumors about Jews”. Her sparked a vivid debate among EU ambassadors, who warned against equating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.. [20] Von Schnurbein clarified that in line with the IHRA definition of antisemitism “criticism of Israel like that leveled against any other country cannot be considered antisemitic”.

According to reports, von Schnurbein informed also about findings of manipulated media coverage on the situation in Gaza as well as European protests orchestrated by Hamas. [21] Human rights organizations like Amnesty International, as well as Israeli historian Amos Goldberg, criticized von Schnurbein for blending her mandate to protect Jewish life in Europe with foreign and security policy judgments on the Middle East conflict. [1] [21] German-Israeli analyst Alon Sahar went further and claimed she clearly breached her mandate. [22]

Subsequently, 26 Members of the European Parliament from various political groups called for her immediate resignation. [23] [24]

President von der Leyen dismissed such an idea and supported von Schnurbein. According to Politico, the Commission offered unequivocal support: “The president supports all the coordinators in their difficult and challenging work,” a Commission spokesperson told Politico, adding that there would be “no comment whatsoever on unverified leaks from a closed meeting.” An earlier attempt in 2019 to remove von Schnurbein also failed. [25]

Close to 80 European and US-based Jewish organisations, issued a strong open letter to President von der Leyen in support of von Schnurbein. Additionally, several organisations  also defended her. [26]

Awards

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "EU antisemitism tsar lobbied against Israel sanctions". EUobserver. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 Liphshiz, Cnaan (18 June 2019). "This mother of 4 is the EU's 'indefatigable heroine' in the fight against anti-Semitism". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Katharina von Schnurbein CV" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Webinar with Katharina von Schnurbein". Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Religious and non-confessional dialogue". Religious and non-confessional dialogue. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  6. 1 2 Sirkus, Thomas (27 January 2016). "Q&A: EU Anti-Semitism Envoy Katharina von Schnurbein". Moment. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  7. ↑ Junger, Rifka (23 December 2018). "Interview with Ms. Katharina von Schnurbein, European Coordinator on Combating Anti-Semitism". Hamodia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Lidor, Canaan (26 June 2023). "How the EU antisemitism warrior became a defender of kosher slaughter, circumcision". The Times of Israel. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Brussels Playbook: Out of Afghanistan — US travel ban — EU's anti-Semitism czar". POLITICO. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "About the EU strategy - European Commission". commission.europa.eu. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  11. ↑ Wax, Eddy (27 January 2022). "Top EU official: Religious slaughter bans paint Jews, Muslims as 'medieval'". Politico Europe. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Liphshiz, Cnaan (21 October 2022). "In a first, EU invites Jews and Muslims to stand up for kosher and halal slaughter amid local bans". Jewish Telegraphic Agency . Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "New forms of antisemitism are a threat - European Commission". The Jerusalem Post . ISSN   0792-822X . Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "At UN workshop, envoys warn of 'tsunami of antisemitism' since Oct. 7". The Times of Israel . 7 September 2024. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  15. ↑ Greenwood, Hanan (4 June 2025). "Line between antisemitism, anti-Zionism is artificial, EU official says". Israel Hayom . Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  16. ↑ "About the EU strategy - European Commission". commission.europa.eu. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 "Protecting and Fostering Jewish Life in The EU After October 7 | Dr. h.c. Katharina von Schnurbein". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "JUST - Adoption of the First Progress Report on the implementation of the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  19. ↑ AFP and ToI Staff (7 September 2024). "At UN workshop, envoys warn of 'tsunami of antisemitism' since Oct. 7". The Times of Israel. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "EU antisemitism coordinator faces ouster campaign after defending Israel". 22 August 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  21. 1 2 "EU antisemitism coordinator breached her mandate". EUobserver. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  22. ↑ "EU antisemitism coordinator breached her mandate". EUobserver. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  23. ↑ Lidor, Canaan (25 August 2025). "EU Jews defend antisemitism czar from pro-Israel bias claims". JNS.org. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  24. ↑ "European Jews join call for EU 'antisemitism tsar' to go". EUobserver. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  25. ↑ "Slovak sanctions breakthrough". POLITICO. 18 July 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  26. ↑ Lidor, Canaan (25 August 2025). "EU Jews defend antisemitism czar from pro-Israel bias claims". JNS.org. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "BGU bestows honorary doctorates on Yehudit Ravitz, Katharina von Schnurbein, Dr. Michael Crow and Prof. Allan Brandt". Ben-Gurion University. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "International Antisemitism Envoys Receive Inaugural AJC David Harris Award from American Jewish Committee". American Jewish Committee. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  29. ↑ "Rabbi Moshe Rosen Prize 2022". Conference of European Rabbis. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "Katharina von Schnurbein". Algemeiner . Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.