Jewish cemeteries face special risks and European governments need to act to ensure their protection, the Council of Europe affirmed in a resolution.

“There are numerous Jewish cemeteries in Europe, and they need to be protected and preserved,” read the resolution adopted May 25 by the council, an international NGO promoting pan-European cooperation. Jewish cemeteries “are part of the European cultural heritage [and] probably more at risk than those of other confessions,” it said.

The European office of World Agudath Israel, a political movement representing haredi Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews, has identified 10,529 Jewish cemeteries and 1,859 mass graves across Europe. Agudath Israel called the resolution, for which it had campaigned, a “milestone.” — jta