France called for a collective response to “one of the worst explosions of anti-Semitism” in Europe’s recent history, as EU ministers gathered to discuss the issue, reports. French European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said he organised the gathering in Brussels with his Dutch counterpart to tackle a resurgence in anti-Semitic violence since the start of the offensive in Gaza. “I wanted us to have… a frank conversation about the causes of the rise in anti-Semitism and the best ways to address it and really make it a priority for the European institutions,” Haddad told . The meeting was arranged after supporters of an Israeli football team were attacked in Amsterdam this month, in an incident condemned by Dutch and Israeli authorities as anti-Semitic. Speaking after the talks, Haddad said however that Europe was witnessing “one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Semitism” since World War II. “When we talk about anti-Semitism, it is not just the defence of European Jewish communities that is at stake, it is the preservation… of our fundamental values,” he said.