Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, and has raised concern about the wave of anti-semitism in Europe.
Mr Nicholson said:
"The events that have unfolded in Paris since the brutal massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, which saw 12 innocents murdered, have been truly harrowing.
"On Friday, a Jewish supermarket was held hostage just hours before the beginning of Shabbat. Among the hostages were children. Four of the hostages were killed. My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of these innocent victims of terrorism.
"In cities across Europe, Jewish communities have been feeling less and less safe over the past number of years. Many synagogues and Jewish schools are under 24 hour protection. Even Belfast's Jewish community has been targeted in recent times in anti-semitic acts of vandalism.
"This is all the more poignant as the European Parliament this month remembers the liberation of Auschwitz. How tragic that 70 years after the end of the Second World War, Jews feel unsafe in major European cities. Anti-semitism, like all forms of racial hatred, is a scourge that should be consigned to history.
"Both the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the events of the past week remind us that freedom often comes at a cost. For the sake of those who gave their lives in the name of liberty, we must continue to stand firm against terror and the forces of hatred."