The League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra) now has a Belgian section, Licra Belgium, the launch of which was announced on Tuesday at a press conference in Brussels. This new Belgian section aims to raise awareness, take legal action, and collaborate with public and private institutions in Belgium to prevent and combat discrimination in all its forms.
Licra is a “universalist, secular and non-partisan” organization, declares Isabelle Ekierman, president of Licra Belgium. “It refuses community confinement and makes it its mission to fight against racism, anti-Semitism and the discrimination linked to them.”
The resurgence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 led to an increase in complaints of anti-Semitism, according to the report from Unia, the Interfederal Center for Equal Opportunities and the Fight against Racism and discrimination. In two months, between October 7 and December 7, 2023, 91 reports were recorded, of which 66 explicitly referred to Jewish ancestry. Before October 7, Unia received an average of four to five reports per month for anti-Semitism.
Licra Belgium was created while other organizations were already dealing with the problem of racism and anti-Semitism. “Our vocation is different from that of Unia,” says Isabelle Ekierman. “Unia deals with the prevention of discrimination at all times, in the broad sense, while we focus on actions. Compared to the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism, we are part of a much broader framework, against any form of racism and discrimination Finally, regarding MRAX, we have the feeling that anti-Semitism has been somewhat forgotten by its leaders.
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