News and Events

European Jewish Congress Pushes For Ban on Far-Right Greek Party

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A major European Jewish organization is urging European governments to quickly adopt measures to tackle anti-Semitism and far-right extremism, including possibly banning a hardline Greek party that did unusually well in recent elections.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, was meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas on Wednesday to seek his support for “emergency measures” to protect the continent’s Jewish communities from violent hate crimes.

Kantor would not give details of the measures that his organization plans to propose, but they could involve passing legislation, sharing intelligence, and a public awareness campaign about anti-Semitic threats.

In particular, Kantor expressed concern about Golden Dawn, a party that did well during Greece’s May 6 election and whose leader claimed that Nazi concentration camps did not use ovens and gas chambers to kill prisoners during the Holocaust.

The party has rejected a neo-Nazi label but campaigned on an anti-immigration platform. Because the leading parties were unable to form a government in Greece, another election is expected, but the message sent by Golden Dawn�s performance has raised fears among minorities.

Kantor said Golden Dawn�s “political rise should have sent shock-waves through Europe.”

�Before calling on European leaders to act against hate on the street, they must clear their own house and that means banning and ostracizing any politicians and political parties that preach hate and violence,� he said. �While we highly value freedom of speech, we all recognize that there must be restrictions, and the visceral hatred propagated by the Golden Dawn is surely outside the boundaries of appropriate political discourse.�

Kantor plans to meet with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and the congress consulted with Francois Hollande a few weeks before he was elected president of France.

�We have to be proactive. Otherwise we�re in a shameful position because we see the problem and we do not do anything,� Kantor told The Associated Press in an interview in Prague. �That�s why we�re here.�

The Czech Republic is one of Israel�s strongest allies in the European Union. The Czech government pushed for closer ties between the EU and Israel when it held the 27-nation bloc�s rotating presidency last year.

Kantor said the current economic crisis creates ripe conditions for anti-Semitism and that radical Muslim communities in Europe are ready to attack Jews because of the tension between Israel and the Palestinians and other Middle East countries.

A recent report on anti-Semitism said the number of attacks in Europe declined in 2011, but they were generally more violent than in previous years.

�It is a very dangerous trend,� Kantor said.

Source: The Times of Israel

Jewish Group Wants Europe to Tackle Far Right

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Kantor said Golden Dawn�s “political rise should have sent shock-waves through Europe.”

A recent report on anti-Semitism said the number of attacks in Europe declined in 2011, but they were generally more violent than in previous years.

�It is a very dangerous trend,� Kantor said.

Source: Associated Press

Jewish Group Urges Europe to Tackle Anti-Semitism and Threat of Far Right

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The head of a major European Jewish group says his organization is urging European governments to quickly adopt measures to tackle anti-Semitism and the threat of a growing far right.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, was meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas on Wednesday to seek his support for "emergency measures" to protect European Jewish communities from violent hate crimes.

Kantor plans to ask Necas to help promote the plan among other European leaders and also seek the support of the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Kantor has expressed concern about Golden Dawn, a party that did well during Greece's May 6 election. It has rejected a neo-Nazi label but campaigned on an anti-immigration platform.

Source: Associated Press

European Jewish Organization Raises Prospect of Banning Far-Right Party in Greece

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Kantor said Golden Dawn�s “political rise should have sent shock-waves through Europe.”

A recent report on anti-Semitism said the number of attacks in Europe declined in 2011, but they were generally more violent than in previous years.

�It is a very dangerous trend,� Kantor said.

Source: The WashingtonPost.com

Hollande Urged to Take Tough Line on Antisemitism

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Jewish community leaders this week congratulated France's new president on his election as Benjamin Netanyahu said he's sure relations with Paris will remain "strong and friendly".

Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande will take over the reigns of power next week after winning nearly 52 percent of the vote in Sunday’s presidential run-off with incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.

The election of the 57-year-old - who has set out to increase taxes on high earners, raise the minimum wage and create more teaching jobs - came just two week after he met a European Jewish Congress delegation for talks described as "very constructive".

The CRIF umbrella body of French Jewry welcomed the election and offered its "warm congratulations" while EJC President Moshe Kantor said: "I believe we have a sympathetic ear in the new French leadership and we look forward to continuing this relationship with the new president."

Antisemitism in Europe, Iran's nuclear programme and the Middle East peace process were among the issues on the agenda at the meeting, which was also attended by Board President Vivian Wineman. The Board said that the president-elect "confirmed that he opposes the participation of Hamas in any Palestinian administration as long as it did not recognise Israel and commit itself to peace with her".

Speaking this week, Board chief executive Jon Benjamin said: "Our counterparts at CRIF have enjoyed close and cordial relations with the outgoing President Sarkozy and it was clear from the recent meeting with Monsieur Hollande that he too values these links. We hope that France will remain as resolute in addressing the threat of a nuclear Iran, and fair and evenhanded in its relations with Israel. The reported statements of Monsieur Hollande condemning all forms of boycotts directed at Israelis are very welcome."

The Rabbinical Centre of Europe, meanwhile, issued a warning over anti-Semitism. "We alert the president-elect on the resurgence of antiSemitism and insecurity in Europe and France in particular and the need to vigorously fight it regardless of its origin. We express our deep concern about the growing intolerance of religious freedom in everyday life, respectful of republican values."

As he prepared to leave the Elysee Palace after failing to win a second term, there was also high praise this week from within the community for Sarkozy. "I would like to thank President Sarkozy for his work, not just for the French Republic, but also in his efforts towards the Jewish community," Kantor said.

"I would like to reiterate our gratitude for his friendship and solidarity with the Jewish people after the recent murders in Toulouse."

Source: Totallyjewish.com

EJC Congratulates President-Elect Francois Hollande & Expresses Concern about Far-Right Successes in Greece

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress congratulated Francois Hollande on his success in French presidential elections and said that they looked forward to working with him on a variety of issues.

EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor recounted the meeting an EJC delegation recently held with Mr. Hollande. “Our recent meeting with Mr. Hollande was very constructive and touched on many areas of concern to the Jewish community,” Kantor said. “I believe we have a sympathetic ear in the new French leadership and we look forward to continuing this relationship with the new president.”

Kantor also spoke highly of the outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy. �I would like to thank President Sarkozy for his work, not just for the French Republic, but also in his efforts towards the Jewish community,� Kantor said. �I would like to reiterate our gratitude for his friendship and solidarity with the Jewish People after the recent murders in Toulouse.�

Regarding the Greek elections, Kantor expressed major concerns over the rise of the far-right and neo-Nazi parties. �We have had long-standing concerns over LAOS, however, the rise of the Golden Dawn party is a major blow for democracy and tolerance,� Kantor said. �Golden Dawn is a party that does not even hide its Nazi tendencies and is the type of group that used to only appear on the extreme-margins of European society. We hope that this party will be ostracized and will not be included in the coalition government.�

�The fact that they have now gained a semblance of support and power should rock Europe to its foundations and force European leaders to rethink their priorities. During the last few years, the European leadership has been understandably engrossed in fending off economic woes, and has largely ignored the loosening of tolerance and the emergence of hate by those who have taken advantage of the financial situation to attain power.�

Source: theyeshivaworld.com

European Jewish Leader Welcomes France's Hollande

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

EJC President Moshe Kantor thanks outgoing French President Sarkozy, says he looks forward to working with his replacement Francois Hollande. About rise of Greece's Golden Dawn party, Kantor says: “European leaders to rethink priorities."

President of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor, on Monday reacted to the election results in France and Greece, congratulating Francois Hollande on his success in the French presidential elections and voicing concern over the rise of a neo-Nazi party in Greece.

Kantor recounted the meeting an EJC delegation recently held with Mr. Hollande, saying he looked forward to working with him on a variety of issues. “Our recent meeting with Mr. Hollande was very constructive and touched on many areas of concern to the Jewish community,” Kantor said. �I believe we have a sympathetic ear in the new French leadership and we look forward to continuing this relationship with the new president.”

Kantor also spoke highly of the outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy. �I would like to thank President Sarkozy for his work, not just for the French Republic, but also in his efforts towards the Jewish community,� Kantor said. �I would like to reiterate our gratitude for his friendship and solidarity with the Jewish people after the recent murders in Toulouse.�

Regarding the Greek elections, Kantor expressed major concerns over the rise of far-right and neo-Nazi parties.

�We have had long-standing concerns over LAOS, however, the rise of the Golden Dawn party is a major blow for democracy and tolerance,� Kantor said of the extremist party that won enough seats to join the Greek parliament.

�Golden Dawn is a party that does not even hide its Nazi tendencies and is the type of group that used to only appear on the extreme-margins of European society," Kantor said. "We hope that this party will be ostracized and will not be included in the coalition government.�

Kantor continued, "The fact that they have now gained a semblance of support and power should rock Europe to its foundations and force European leaders to rethink their priorities. During the last few years, the European leadership has been understandably engrossed in fending off economic woes, and has largely ignored the loosening of tolerance and the emergence of hate by those who have taken advantage of the financial situation to attain power.�

Source: Israel Hayom

European Jewish Congress Congratulates Francois Hollande and Expresses Concern about Extreme-Right Parties Gains in Greece Elections

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) congratulated Francois Hollande on his success in Sunday's French presidential elections and said that they looked forward to working with him on a variety of issues.

In a statement issued on Monday, EJC President, Moshe Kantor, stressed that a a recent meeting of an EJC delegation with Hollande "was very constructive and touched on many areas of concern to the Jewish community."

"I believe we have a sympathetic ear in the new French leadership and we look forward to continuing this relationship with the new president," Kantor said.

He also spoke highly of outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy. "I would like to thank President Sarkozy for his work, not just for the French Republic, but also in his efforts towards the Jewish community."

"I would like to reiterate our gratitude for his friendship and solidarity with the Jewish people after the recent murders in Toulouse."

The EJC President also expressed "major concerns" over the rise of the extreme-right and neo-Nazi parties in Sunday’s elections in Greece. "We have had long-standing concerns over LAOS, however, the rise of the Golden Dawn party is a major blow for democracy and tolerance," Kantor said.

Little more than an obscure fringe group barely a year ago, the Golden Dawn party is set to enter the Greek parliament for the first time with 8 percent of the vote in the general elections which saw the defeat of main conservative and Socialist parties over their support for austerity economic measures.

"Golden Dawn is a party that does not even hide its Nazi tendencies and is the type of group that used to only appear on the extreme-margins of European society. We hope that this party will be ostracized and will not be included in the coalition government," the EJC President said.

“The fact that they have now gained a semblance of support and power should rock Europe to its foundations and force European leaders to rethink their priorities. During the last few years, the European leadership has been understandably engrossed in fending off economic woes, and has largely ignored the loosening of tolerance and the emergence of hate by those who have taken advantage of the financial situation to attain power."

The head of the Jewish community in Athens, Benjamin Albalas, told The Jerusalem Post that the Golden Dawn’s victory "is an insult not just to the Jewish people but to the country as a whole. Golden Dawn is not only Right or Extreme Right but a neo-nazi party. It�s a shame to permit this bunch of people to become members of parliament."

The anti-immigrant party�s leader is Nikolaos Michaloliakos, its supporters wear black shirts and its emblems resemble Nazi insignia.

The other extreme-right party in the country which is excpected to return to parliament is LAOS, whose founder, Georgios Karatzaferis, has repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments.

Source: European Jewish Press

Anti-Semitism in Belgium: Jews Told �Get Off at Buchenwald�

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Passengers on a train in Belgium got a shock this week as the following announcement came over the speaker, “Welcome to the train to Auschwitz. The Jews are asked to get off at Buchenwald.”

More than 55,000 were murdered at the Buchenwald concentration camp during the Holocaust.

A railroad employee who heard the announcement ran to the room with the microphone, but found it empty. A short time later a second employee took to the sound system to apologize for the “unsuccessful joke.”

The Belgian national railroad, SNCB, denounced the incident, which took place on the Brussels-Namur line.

The employee has been found and fired, SNCB officials stated.

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor recently warned that anti-Israel sentiment in Europe could lead to a �tsunami of hate� being unleashed against European Jews. The European Jewish Parliament has reported a �surge in anti-Semitism� as well.

A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL) poll found �disturbingly high� levels of anti-Semitism among European respondents.

Source: Arutz Sheva

EJC President Kantor to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: 'We Stand Behind Any Decision That Protects Israel and Its People'

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor told Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the European Jewish leadership “stands with Israel and its people in the face of its many threats and challenges.”

Kantor met Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday.

“We know that the government and people of Israel face many threats, not least from the Iranian regime which is constantly and consistently calling for the demise of Israel,” Kantor told Netanyahu.

�We also know that as Prime Minister you will have to make some very difficult decisions. We want you to know that the European Jewish leadership and our communities stand behind any decision you make to ensure the safety of Israel and its people.�

Kantor also spoke about the dangers of an escalation in the Middle East which could provide an excuse for anti-Semites to attack Jews in Europe.

�We are aware that many use our support for Israel as an excuse to vent their anti-Semitism in Europe,� he told the Prime Minister. �This is unacceptable and I know that you will join us in calling on European leadership to do everything possible to safeguard European Jewry.�

�In the coming months we will be holding many meetings with European leaders to discuss our plan to implement stronger measures against rising anti-Semitism and incitement. I hope that in your meetings you will also pass along similar messages to your European interlocutors and counterparts,� Kantor added.

Source: European Jewish Press

European Jewish Group Fears Israel-Iran Backlash

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The head of a top European Jewish group says he fears a wave of violence against local communities if Israel attacks Iran.

Moshe Kantor, head of the European Jewish Congress, said he fears extremist Muslims in Europe might use an attack as a pretext, particularly in France and Great Britain.

Israeli officials have hinted in recent months that they may attack Iran if they believe the Islamic country comes close to producing a nuclear weapon.

Kantor, a Russian-Swiss businessman, spoke Wednesday during the presentation of an annual report on worldwide anti-Semitic attacks. The report said the number of attacks declined in 2011, but the individual attacks were generally more violent than previous years.

Source: The Associated Press

Jewish Leader Urges EU Governments to Prevent "Tsunami of Hate"

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor has warned European leaders to act now to prevent what he called a “tsunami of hate” if the situation in the Middle East escalates. Kantor spoke at a press conference held by the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, in cooperation with the European Jewish Congress (EJC). The center releases an annual survey of global anti-Semitic incidents. This year’s results show a slight decrease in overall incidents, but a rise in violent attacks on Jews.

“The Middle East conflict has been imported into Europe and serves as an excuse for anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish citizens of Europe,” Kantor said at the press conference. �This is absolutely unacceptable and should be removed at all levels, from enforcement authorities to government officials. There should be zero tolerance for the idea that it is natural that what happens in the Middle East will affect the Jews of Europe or elsewhere.�

�This issue needs to be dealt with immediately or there could be a tsunami of hate if there is an escalation in the Middle East or an attack on the illegal Iranian nuclear weapons program. The barbaric murders in Toulouse should serve as a wake-up call for action. We know the problems and the solution, now we require the implementation,� the EJC president added.

Kantor outlined some of the steps that he will present to European leaders and officials, which the EJC will meet during the year, as part of a pan-European program to implement measures to prevent future anti-Semitic attacks. �Concentrated attention should be given to legislative efforts that will define and protect our community from violent crimes and will ban any form of incitement, which we all know is flourishing in the mosques of Europe,� he said, adding: �Security measures should be implemented and enforced to protect Jewish communities across Europe. Creating public awareness of this threat, as well as a concerted education program can also become a useful preventive tool. Intelligence sharing and intelligence cooperation, between the various enforcement authorities across Europe is vital for prevention.�

The EJC president praised the French government in their handling of the events in Toulouse and said it had set an example for others in Europe.

Kantor also related to the controversial poem by German writer Günter Grass (pictured left), saying: �Incitement can be a major contributor to the deterioration of the situation. It is a slippery slope when someone like Gunter Grass expresses such twisted and delusional ideas. Grass is laying the seeds for blaming the Jews for many of the ills of the world and from here the road to anti-Semitic expressions and action is short.

"While freedom of speech is vital, people like Grass must realize that their comments are not made in a vacuum and were made on the back of findings by the German Bundestag, in a recently released report, that 20 percent of Germans hold anti-Semitic views. These types of comments contribute to the hate against the Jews of Europe by singling out the Jewish State, therefore giving people an excuse to carry out anti-Semitic violence,� the Jewish leader declared.

Source: World Jewish Congress

Hate Crimes against Jews Becoming More Brutal

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism presented its annual global anti-Semitism report for 2011 Wednesday, as Israel readies to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The report noted an increase in cases involving harassments and violence against Jews worldwide, singling out western Europe, Australia and Canada as three of the places most affected by the trend.

Nevertheless, the Tel Aviv University based institute found that on average the number of verbal threats and vandalism cases against Jews were down 27% in 2011 with 446 incidents compared to 614 in 2010.

The United Kingdom, France and Canada recorded an overall drop in hate crimes; Belgium, Australia and Ukraine demonstrated a similar number of incidents as in 2010 and Belarus and Lithuania saw a rise in anti-Semitic acts.

'Attacks' brutality escalating'

The data further indicated a rise in physical violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, noting an escalation in their brutality as well.

According to the report, in 2011 42% of hate crimes against Jews were committed against individuals, while 20% saw synagogues targeted, and 6% targeted schools and community centers. In addition, in 14% of the cases Jewish cemeteries were vandalized and in 18% of the cases private property was vandalized.

The data further segmented the nature of the assault, saying that firearms were used in 5% of cases, 17% involved verbal threats, 57% of hate crimes involved vandalism, and 1% involved arson.

The Stephen Roth Institute further found that France held the dubious record for most hate crimes against Jews in 2011 – 114.

The UK was second, with 105 reported cases; followed by Canada, with 68. Australia saw 30 reported cases of hate crimes against Jews, followed by Ukraine (16), Russia (15) the United States (13), Lithuania (6), Argentina (5), Switzerland (5), South Africa (3) and Tunisia, which noted only one reported case.

'Europe is a ticking time bomb'

Dr. Moshe Kantor, who presented the report, noted that 2011 saw an escalation in violence by Europe's militant far-Right, which is using social media platforms to spread its anti-Semitic agenda.

Such sites, he noted, perpetuate the notion of a supposed global "Jewish conspiracy" that is responsible for every international event.

Kantor warned that "Europe is a ticking time bomb. Anti-Semitism as well as hatred towards Jews and other minorities can erupt and sweep through Europe. Fighting anti-Semitism should be a value shared by all."

He identified what he called "two triggers" which he said had the most impact on the frequency and nature of hate crimes – the situation in the Middle East and internal European issues.

"Any developments in the Middle East � for instance, if Israel was to strike Iran � will have ramifications in Europe. Such a thing could spark grave anti-Semitism in every (European nation)."

Hatred towards Jewish communities across Europe, he added, is being underestimated by the governments. "About 20% of Germans harbor anti-Semitic notions. In smaller communities (throughout Europe) it's an overwhelming majority of 92% - and its not being dealt with. This is why it's so extremely dangerous."

Source: Ynetnews

Report: Anti-Semitic Incidents Down 27 Percent in 2011

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A report published on Wednesday by The Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University showed a 27 percent drop in anti-Semitic incidents in 2011 compared with 2010.

In terms of violent incidents involving violence with and without weapons, vandalism and threats made against Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S., the study cited 466 such events in 2011 as opposed to 614 during the previous year.

One of the reasons for this change may lie in the decrease of anti-Semitism in the three countries who host the largest Jewish communities – Britain (numbers of anti-Semitic incidents down from 144 to 105), France (incidents down from 134 to 114) and Canada (incidents down from 99 to 68). 63 percent of anti-Semitic attacks take place in these three countries.

In other countries such as Australia, Belgium and Ukraine the number of incidents has not changed significantly, while in Belarus and Lithuania there has been as increase.

Despite the overall decrease in hate crimes, researchers say the statistical data collected over the past few years indicate that the level of violence is actually higher compared to recent years and that the attacks have become more brutal. Dina Porat, who heads the institution, said that the incidents include attacks on youth on the streets, threats on the telephone and general harassments that "create an atmosphere of violence."

According to the center's researchers, the reason for the drop in violent attacks against the Jewish community is related to relative calm between Israel and the Palestinians, as opposed to clashes such as Operation Cast Lead in 2009 and the Gaza Flotilla of 2012, which normally serve as a catalyst for violence. On the other hand, the reason for the high level of harassment and incitement seems to be radicalization among Muslim youth, mainly from immigrant families, in the wake of the Arab Spring; as well as escalation in hostility on the part of the extreme militant right-wing, which has increased in strength in the aftermath of the financial crisis and the challenges of multiculturalism. The researchers also cited the increase in the use of the internet, social networks and blogs, which can easily disseminate anti-Semitic messages as well as anti-Zionist and anti-Israel incitement.

It is difficult to distinguish between anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment, says Dr. Roni Stauber, the head of Program for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism in the Kantor Center. From the materials we gathered, he said, it looks like the violence toward Jews stems from a conclusion that there is cooperation between Jews around the world. He added that people do not make the distinction between Zionist and non-Zionist Jews.

A new program consolidated by the European Jewish Congress was presented on Tuesday by Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress. The program will be presented soon to European Union leaders, and will include accelerated and firm legislation to deal with anti-Semitic crimes, as well as the implementation and enforcement of security measures to protect Europe’s Jewish communities."

Source: Haaretz.com

Study: Global Anti-Semitic Violence Fell 27% in 2011

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The number of violent anti-Semitic incidents around the world fell by 27 percent in 2011, according to data released on Tuesday.

The Kantor Center at Tel Aviv University counted 446 reported acts of violence, vandalism and “direct threats” around the world in its annual 2011 report in comparison to 614 the year before. The decrease was the second year in a row that the research center, which focuses on the study of European Jews, has counted fewer global anti-Semitic attacks.

The biggest drops in reported hate crimes against Jews, according to the center, were recorded in the UK, France and Canada, countries that have some of the largest Jewish communities in the world.

“The reasons for the decline in the number of major violent incidents are not clear cut,” researchers wrote. �They may include the absence of a major confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians, such as Operation Cast Lead in 2009 and the Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010.�

Despite the �significant decline� in anti-Semitic violence, the Kantor Center chose to highlight what it called �the continuation and escalation of harassment and incitement� against Jews in its study.

Prof. Dina Porat, who heads the center, said researchers debated whether they should focus on the �good news� that fewer attacks were recorded in 2011 before releasing the report or point towards what she described as an uncomfortable living environment for Jews in Europe.

�We could come to the public and say, kinderlach, we are going the right way,� said Porat at a press conference at Tel Aviv University.

�But in the overall picture we saw another phenomenon. What we saw was not the violence of 2009, a peak year, but we estimate that the general feeling [of European Jews] is one of being insulted by the mayors in London or Malmo. Anti- Semitic expressions are not only found in fringe or radical groups but have infiltrated the mainstream and it creates an atmosphere that you cannot count.�

Earlier in the press conference, Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress who donated the money to create the research center named after him, warned of a �tsunami of hate against Jews� if Israel were to strike Iran in a bid to stop its nuclear program.

�The Middle East conflict has been imported into Europe and serves as an excuse for anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish citizens of Europe,� Kantor said. �This is absolutely unacceptable and should be removed at all levels, from the enforcement authorities to government officials.�

Source: JPost.com

EJC President Warns Of �Tsunami of Hate� Against European Jewry If Escalation in The Middle East

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President, Dr. Moshe Kantor, warned European leaders to act now to prevent a “tsunami of hate” if there is an escalation in the Middle East.

Kantor was speaking at the Anti-Semitism Press Conference, held by The Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Moshe Kantor program for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism at Tel Aviv University, in cooperation with the European Jewish Congress (EJC). The Kantor Center releases annual survey of global anti-Semitic incidents. This year’s results show a slight decrease in overall incidents, but a rise in violent attacks on Jews.

“The Middle East conflict has been imported into Europe and serves as an excuse for anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish citizens of Europe,” Kantor said. �This is absolutely unacceptable and should be removed at all levels, from the enforcement authorities to government officials. There should be zero tolerance for the idea that it is natural that what happens in the Middle East will affect the Jews of Europe or elsewhere.�

�This issue needs to be dealt with immediately or there could be a �tsunami of hate� if there is an escalation in the Middle East or an attack on the illegal Iranian nuclear weapons program. The barbaric murders in Toulouse should serve as a �wake-up call� for action. We know the problems and the solution, now we require the implementation.�

�Concentrated attention should be given to legislative efforts that will define and protect our community from violent crimes and will ban any form of incitement, which we all know is flourishing in the mosques of Europe,� Kantor said. �Security measures should be implemented and enforced to protect Jewish communities across Europe. Creating public awareness of this threat, as well as a concerted education program can also become a useful preventive tool. Intelligence sharing and intelligence cooperation, between the various enforcement authorities across Europe is vital for prevention.�

The EJC President praised the French Government in their handling of the events in Toulouse and held this up as an example for others in Europe.

Kantor also related to the controversial poem by German writer Gunter Grass.

�Incitement can be a major contributor to the deterioration of the situation. It is a slippery slope when someone like Gunter Grass expresses such twisted and delusional ideas,� Kantor said. �Grass is laying the seeds for blaming the Jews for many of the ills of the world and from here the road to anti-Semitic expressions and action is short. While freedom of speech is vital, people like Grass must realize that their comments are not made in a vacuum and were made on the back of findings by the German Bundestag, in a recently released report, that 20% of Germans hold anti-Semitic views.�

�These types of comments contribute to the hate against the Jews of Europe by singling out the Jewish State, therefore giving people an excuse to carry out anti-Semitic violence.�

Source: The Yeshiva World

EJC President Met with the French Presidential Candidate François Hollande in Paris

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) Viatcheslav Kantor heading the EJC delegation met yesterday in Paris with the French presidential Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande and Chief of Hollande’s presidential campaign Pierre Moscovici. EJC delegation included President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Vivian Wineman, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Dieter Graumann, Director General of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France Haim Musicant, EJC Secretary General Serge Cwajgenbaum and EJC Deputy Secretary General Raya Kalenova.

Francois Hollande appreciated the visit of this high ranking European Jewish delegation, led by its President. Viatcheslav Kantor thanked Mr. Hollande on behalf of the EJC and made a presentation of the organization and its priorities.

He recalled that Jews have been citizens of Europe and have been living in Europe for centuries. They have always obeyed the rule of law of the countries that they live in and supported official authorities, he mentioned. “That is how Jews have survived for centuries. However, this means that democratic values must prevail to avoid extremism and anti-Semitism”, Kantor added.

EJC President expressed worries on behalf of the Jewish community of Europe, regarding growing hatred and anti-Semitism. He mentioned the horrible tragedy in Toulouse and gave his interpretation of the facts and of the reasons of such a horrible phenomenon, in France in particular. Viatcheslav Kantor advocated the concept of secure tolerance and presented to Francois Hollande his new book “Manifesto on Secure Tolerance”. He said that too much tolerance is as dangerous, as well as a complete absence of tolerance. Kantor noted that tolerance towards acts of hatred produces such phenomenon as Toulouse.

Pierre Moscovici stated that if his candidate would win the elections, security would be one of his priorities. He said that the Jewish community in France was a very influential and strong community, but it was needed to admit that the Muslim community was also very strong, and they should find a way to live together.

Viatcheslav Kantor invited Francois Hollande to a conference of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) that will take place on November 13, 2012 in Kazan and will be devoted to the concept of secure tolerance. Mr. Hollande accepted the invitation to participate in this high-level event.

On behalf of the Socialist Party of France Mr. Holland mentioned that the party has friendly relations with Israel and is profoundly attached to its security. Touching the Iranian issue Hollande noted that Iran represents one of the major threats to humanity today and not only to Israel. �Iran must not have access to the nuclear arms but we believe in sanctions and not in military solutions. Anyhow, Israel must feel international support and in no way has to be left alone to face this threat�, he said.

Francois Hollande found the meeting extremely constructive and important. He expressed his hope that if elected he would maintain close relations with the EJC, and promised to study EJC’s propositions attentively.

Ukrainian Jew Flown To Israel after Assault

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A Ukrainian man who was apparently attacked because he was identifiably Jewish has been flown to Israel for medical treatment.

Yeshivah student Aharon Alexander Gorshonov, was said to have been beaten up after he left the synagogue in Kiev on second night seder wearing a kippah.

The 25-year-old victim sustained head injuries and was discovered covered in blood later that night. According to the European Jewish Congress he was attacked in an area known to be popular with neo-Nazi groups.

Moshe Kantor, president of the EJC, urged the Ukrainian authorities to take swift action following the assault.

"We are confident that the Ukrainian authorities will act swiftly against the perpetrators of this hate crime and will bring them to swift justice." he said.

Mr Kantor said that the attack, coming weeks after the murders of four at a Jewish school in Toulouse, showed that European leaders needed to act now to stamp out "visceral hatred of Jews".

"We call on European leaders to act swiftly to strengthen legislation, bolster education and increase intelligence sharing to prevent what could become a tsunami of hate and violence against the Jews of Europe."

Source: The Jewish Chronicle

European Jewish Congress Calls on Ukrainian Officials to Hunt down Perpetrators of Hate Crime against Jew in Kiev

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor has called on Ukrainian officials to do everything necessary to hunt down suspected neo-Nazis who attacked Jewish man leaving a synagogue in Kiev on Saturday.

"We are confident that the Ukrainian authorities will act swiftly against the perpetrators of this hate crime and will bring them to swift justice.” Kantor said.

A 25-year-old man was brutally assaulted shortly after leaving the synagogue on Saturday, and was found on Sunday night, suffering from serious head injuries after he was brutally beaten in a known neo-Nazi area. He is in critical condition.

“This attempted murder by neo-Nazis in Kiev, just weeks after the Islamist murders in Toulouse, by groups who have nothing in common except for a visceral hatred of Jews, is phenomenon that European leaders have to stamp out now.” Kantor said.

“We call on European leaders to act swiftly to strengthen legislation, bolster education and increase intelligence sharing to prevent what could become a tsunami of hate and violence against the Jews of Europe.�>/p>

Jewish Groups Slam Gunter Grass�s Attack on Israel, �Intellectual Dishonesty�

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor on Thursday condemned Günter Grass’ attack on Israel, when the German writer and Nobel laureate claimed in a poem that Israel "could wipe out the Iranian people" and that it is the greatest threat to world peace.

The poem was published Wednesday in one of Germany’s largest daily newspapers, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and several other European newspapers.

"Grass has a history of intellectual dishonesty, whether it was joining the Waffen-SS, then spending the majority of his life hiding it and recently when attacking Western governments and defending oppression" Kantor said."His views should not to be lauded, but rather should be reviled."

"When someone of this background attacks Israel it merely fits in with his history of intellectual dishonesty. Rather than discussing the danger of a radical Islamist government acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, Grass shifts the attention to a democratic nation which needs to defend itself from this very threat."

Kantor said that after the murders in Toulouse, it is a time for greater understanding of the impact of incitement in Europe."Only days after Jews were murdered because of an anti-Israel ideology, one would assume there would be some reflection on the dangers of such hate speech," Kantor continued". "Grass apparently has no such concerns and is only trying to inflame the agenda.”

In New York, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the poem written by Grass draws "an outrageous moral equivalence” between Israel and Iran.

In a statement, Abraham H. Foxman, ADL�s National Director, said: "The scorn unleashed by Gunter Grass against Israel in his poem is shocking. By turning the Iranian nuclear threat on its head and drawing an outrageous moral equivalence between Iran and Israel, Grass reveals his deep-seated disdain for Israel."

"The cumulative effect of these distorted views, together with his long-hidden record of belonging to the Waffen-SS during World War II, confirms Grass� anti-Israel bias and indeed suggests he harbors some anti-Semitic beliefs.

"This poem shows Grass to be someone who is ignorant about or willfully disregarding the true nature of the Iranian nuclear threat, willing to cast Israel as an irresponsible aggressor against Iran and blaming accusations of anti-Semitism as the reason there has been a lack of criticism of Israel."

"Grass appears convinced that Israel is the wrongdoer at a time when most responsible countries and people are calling on Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions," Foxman added.

Source: European Jewish Press

Netanyahu Attacks Gunter Grass for 'Shameful Moral Equivalence'

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The Israeli Prime Minister has suggested that it is "not surprising" to hear German Nobel laureate accuse Israel of being the greatest threat to world piece.

Gunter Grass, who was a teenage volunteer of the Waffen SS during the Holocaust, made the comments in a poem published in the German media on Wednesday. He wrote of his fear that Israel "could wipe out the Iranian people" if it took action against Tehran's nuclear ambitions

He also accused Germany of colluding with Israeli actions because of an agreement to sell the Jewish state

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derided the writer's "shameful moral equivalence between Israel and Iran, a regime that denies the Holocaust and threatens to annihilate Israel".

He noted that it was Iran, not Israel, that was a threat to the peace and security of the world, was supporting the Syrian regime's crackdown of its people and "stones women, hangs gays and brutally represses tens of millions of its own citizens".

He added: "It is Iran, not Israel, that threatens other states with annihilation. It is Iran, not Israel, that supports terror organizations that fire rockets on innocent civilians."

Mr Netanyahu pointed out that Mr Grass had concealed his Nazi record for six years and suggested his attitude to the Jewish state was "perhaps not surprising".

"Decent people everywhere should strongly condemn these ignorant and reprehensible statements."

Mr Grass's comments have been critics, with the Anti-Defamation League suggesting that he harboured "some antisemitic beliefs"

"It merely fits in with his history of intellectual dishonesty," said Moshe Kantor, president of the European jewish Congress. "Only days after Jews were murdered because of an anti-Israel ideology, one would assume there would be some reflection on the dangers of such hate speech.

"Grass apparently has no such concerns and is only trying to inflame the agenda."

The Jewish Chronicle online

European Jewish Congress President Praises French Authoritiers for Neutralizing Al-Qaeda Linked Terrorist

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor praised the French Authorities for their actions in neutralizing Mohamed Merah, the al Qaeda-linked terrorist who murdered seven people, among them three young children.

"The Jewish community received a measure of comfort by President Sarkozy and the French Authorities actions in handling this tragic massacre," Kantor said. "That they have spared no efforts to find and neutralize the perpetrator and that the election campaign has been put on hold is a testament to the depth of feeling that has developed after the shooting," he added.

He urged European leaders "to take further steps, legal and other, to fight the phenomenon that spawned the terrorist's extremist, dangerous ideology."

"I look to France to lead pan-European actions to strengthen legislation, toughen enforcement and heighten intelligence activities to prevent such terror atrocities aimed at the Jewish communities, and others, in Europe," Kantor said.

"It is time to act forcefully against the enticement that encourages such activity. I urge the EU, European states and all the relevant agencies to allocate resources and take forceful actions to fight against these phenomena," he added.

Kantor continued, "The greatest tribute that can be made for the victims and their families is to significantly toughen measures against anti-Semitism and other hate crimes. Authorities need to be given greater powers to act against any form of hate and intolerance.".

Source: European Jewish Press

World Condemns 'Despicable' France School Shooting

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Israel led world condemnation of the shooting of three children and a teacher at a Jewish school in France on Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "despicable murder".

Children aged three, six and 10, and a 30-year-old religious education teacher were shot dead as they arrived for classes at the Ozar Hatorah school in the southern city of Toulouse.

The killer, riding a powerful scooter, is suspected of being the same gunman who shot dead three soldiers of Arab origin in two incidents this month in Toulouse and nearby Montauban.

"In France today there was a despicable murder of Jews, including small children," Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party.

"It is too early to determine exactly what the background to the murderous act was, but we certainly cannot rule out the option that it was motivated by violent and murderous anti-Semitism."

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was "deeply shocked" over the incident, a statement from his office said.

"Only a person possessing demonic evil could conduct such a terrible murder of small children at a school," it quoted him as saying, while parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin said the attack was against Jews and Israel and as such should alert the international community.

The dead teacher was named by a relative as Jonathan Sandler, originally from Jerusalem, who had moved to France last year.

The White House condemned the "outrageous" and "unprovoked" shooting. "We were deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack this morning," said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said: "I strongly condemn this odious crime and express the horror that this blind violence inspires. Nothing is more intolerable than the murder of innocent children."

The Vatican voiced outrage, with spokesman Federico Lombardi condemning the "horrific and heinous act," noting that it followed other "senseless violence" in France.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti also expressed "outrage and alarm," and stressed that "anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance are utterly contrary to the... values that underlie all of humanity".

European Union Herman Van Rompuy denounced it as an "odious crime," Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was "shocked by the cruelty," and his Belgian counterpart voiced his "horror and indignation."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was "deeply shocked," adding: "I hope the perpetrators are found quickly and are called to account."

"Anti-Semitism and violence against Jewish institutions or people of Jewish faith have no place in Europe and must be rigorously punished," he added.

Poland's foreign ministry said: "Such acts of terror can have no justification and must be condemned unreservedly by the civilised world.

Belgium and the Netherlands both stepped up security around Jewish schools and other buildings, while European Jewish groups urged France to catch the gunman.

"While many of the details are still emerging, it appears that this was a premeditated attack with the intention to murder Jewish children," said Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress.

"Whoever did this is looking to target the Jewish community at its weakest point, its youth, in the hopes of spreading fear throughout the community," Kantor said.

"They will not succeed, the Jews of Europe in general and the Jews of France in particular have a long history of standing firm against hatred and violence," he added.

The Brussels-based Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) said: "It is difficult to believe that the main challenge to European Jewry remains anti-Semitism and threats to their lives."

RCE deputy director Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg added: "This act of barbarity and murder will be met with a Jewish response.”

"We will bury the dead, look after the injured, and we will demand that justice is pursued through the appropriate channels," he said.

Source: EJP

Four Reported Dead In Shooting at Jewish School in France

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Four people - a teacher and three students – reportedly were shot dead outside a Jewish school in Toulouse, France.

A man riding a motorbike reportedly opened fire Monday morning outside the Ozar Hatorah School, where students were waiting to enter the building at the start of the school day. The shooter then entered the building shooting at students and teachers. He then fled on his motorbike.

Several students also were injured inside the building, according to reports. The dead are reported to be a teacher and his two sons as well as the daughter of the school's principal.

Some 200 students attend the school, according to Israel Radio.

French Interior Minister Claude Gueant ordered security to be tightened around all Jewish schools in France after the attack, the French news agency AFP reported.

Gueant and French President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled toToulouse. Sarkozy called the attack a "national tragedy" and vowed to find the killer

The attack followed the fatal shootings of three off-duty soldiers in and near Toulouse by a gunman on a motorbike over the past week. It was not known if the attacks were connected.

"We are horrified by this attack and we trust the French authorities to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP.

“Whoever did this is looking to target the Jewish community at its weakest point, its youth, in the hopes of spreading fear throughout the community," said Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, in a statement. "They will not succeed. The Jews of Europe in general and the Jews of France in particular have a long history of standing firm against hatred and violence, and I know as a community French Jewry will send a message of strength and resilience in the face of those who wish to terrorize them.

"This is a brazen assault on France and French society, and another telling reminder of the dangers that exist for Jewish communities in today's world,” said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, in a statement. “We count on French authorities to pursue the investigation vigorously, arrest whoever is involved, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, as well as review security at Jewish institutions. We have confidence they will."

Source: Cleveland Jewish News

After Toulouse Attack: Sarkozy Cancels Campaign Events, Jews Warn Of Rising Anti-Semitism

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

French President Nicolas Sarkozy canceled re-election campaign events following the attack by an unidentified gunman on a Jewish school in Toulouse.

“This is a day of national tragedy because children were killed in cold blood,” Sarkozy said after arriving in Toulouse, a city of 1.1 million in southwestern France. “Barbarity, savagery, cruelty cannot win. Hate cannot win. We will find him.”

French Interior Minister Claude Gueant ordered security to be tightened around all Jewish schools in France after the attack at the Ozar Hatorah School.

The dead are reported to be Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, 30, a dual French and Israeli citizen; the rabbi's 3- and 6-year-old sons; and the 10-year-old daughter of the school's principal. Forensic tests found that the weapon used in the attack at the school was the same one used in a pair of fatal shooting attacks last week targeting off-duty French soldiers in and near Toulouse. The shootings, which also were committed by a gunman on a motorbike, left three soldiers dead and another seriously wounded. The soldiers who were shot were of North African or Caribbean background.

Many of the Jewish groups and leaders who condemned the attack warned of rising anti-Semitism in Europe.

"This is a brazen assault on France and French society, and another telling reminder of the dangers that exist for Jewish communities in today's world,� David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, said in a statement.

Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman noted that the Jewish community of Toulouse has been targeted in the past three years with anti-Semitic acts of violence.

�Whoever did this is looking to target the Jewish community at its weakest point, its youth, in the hopes of spreading fear throughout the community," Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, said in a statement. "They will not succeed. The Jews of Europe in general and the Jews of France in particular have a long history of standing firm against hatred and violence, and I know as a community French Jewry will send a message of strength and resilience in the face of those who wish to terrorize them."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would do everything to help France track down the killer.

�Today we had a savage crime in France that gunned down French Jews, among them children," Netanyahu said. "It’s too early to say what the precise background for this act of murder is, but I think that we can’t rule out that there was a strong murderous anti-Semitic motive here."

He continued, "I haven�t heard yet a condemnation from any of the U.N. bodies, but I have heard that one such body, the U.N. Human Rights Council, invited on this very day a senior representative of Hamas."

The United States also condemned the attack.

"We were deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack this morning against the teachers and students of a Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse," said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims, and we stand with a community in grief."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP, "We are horrified by this attack and we trust the French authorities to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice."

Source: JTA

France: Toulouse in Lockdown as Police Search For Killer of Jews

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The president of France Nicolas Sarkozy has condemned the mass murder of four people – including three children – at a Jewish school in Toulouse in southern France.

Putting his re-election campaign temporarily on hold, Sarkozy said the shooting was a "national tragedy" and promised to find the killer or killers responsible. He also called for a minute of silence in all French schools to mourn for the dead.

"We should not back down in the face of terror," Sarkozy said in an appearance outside the school.

"Barbarism, savagery, hate must not win. The [French] Republic is much stronger than that. You cannot murder children like this on the territory of the Republic without being held to account. Today is a day of national tragedy. I want to say to all the leaders of the Jewish community, how close we feel to them. All of France is by their side.”

A gunman passing by on a scooter fired indiscriminately at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school on Monday.

The British newspaper Daily Telegraph identified the four victims as Rabbi Yonatan Sandler, his two sons, Aryeh and Gavriel, and eight-year-old Miriam Monsonego, the daughter of the school's headmaster, Yaacov Monsonego.

Another person was seriously wounded in the shooting.

Michel Valet, the chief prosecutor at Toulouse, told local media: "[The gunman] shot at everything he could see, children and adults, and some children were chased into the school.”

One father with a child at the school told France’s RTL Radio: "I saw two people dead in front of the school, an adult and a child... Inside, it was a vision of horror, the bodies of two small children. I did not find my son, apparently he fled when he saw what happened. How can they attack something as sacred as a school, attack children only sixty centimeters tall?"

Sarkozy’s principal challenger for the presidency, socialist candidate Francoise Hollande has also suspended his campaign to grieve for the victims in Toulouse.

Meanwhile, French police officials and anti-terrorism specialists are concerned that the shooting at the Jewish school may be linked to the murder last week of three French paratroopers in two separate incidents in the same region of France. In all cases, gunmen drove by in a scooter and motorbike and shot their targets.

"We are struck by the similarities between the modus operandi of today's drama and those last week even if we have to wait to have more elements from the police to confirm this hypothesis," Sarkozy said in Toulouse.

Toulouse is reportedly on “lockdown� as dozens of police fan out over the area to search for the killer. The national government has also ordered upgrades security in Jewish schools and religious buildings across France.

Israel has also condemned the massacre.

"In France today there was a despicable murder of Jews, including small children," Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party officials.

"It is too early to determine exactly what the background to the murderous act was, but we certainly cannot rule out the option that it was motivated by violent and murderous anti-Semitism."

In a statement, Israel�s foreign ministry said: " We are horrified by this attack and we trust the French authorities to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice."

Condemnation came from various others quarters as well.

A spokesman for The Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters: "The attack in Toulouse against a teacher and three Jewish children is a horrific and heinous act.�

Germany�s foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement: "I hope the perpetrators are found quickly and are called to account. Anti-Semitism and violence against Jewish institutions or people of Jewish faith have no place in Europe and must be rigorously punished.�

Some Jewish groups in France have blamed the murders on the climate of growing intolerance in the country.

Jonathan Hayoun, the head of the Jewish students union of France (UEJF), said in a statement that "anti-Semitic and racist speech has created a climate of insecurity for Jews in France".

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, lamented: "While many of the details are still emerging, it appears that this was a premeditated attack with the intention to murder Jewish children. We hope the authorities will spare no resources in apprehending the perpetrator. Whoever did this is looking to target the Jewish community at its weakest point, its youth, in the hopes of spreading fear throughout the community.�

Kantor added: "They will not succeed, the Jews of Europe in general and the Jews of France in particular have a long history of standing firm against hatred and violence. I know as a community French Jewry will send a message of strength and resilience in the face of those who wish to terrorize them. The greatest defense against race-based murder is not by creating higher walls and more effective security systems, but by teaching and imparting tolerance in the classrooms."

France is home to some 700,000 Jews, making it the largest Jewish community in Europe. France also has the continent�s biggest Muslim population, estimated at about 5-million.

Source: The International Business Times

World Jewish Congress Reacts with Horror and Shock at Deadly Attack against Jewish School in France

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Four people, among them three children, died when a man opened fire on a group of students and teachers at a Jewish school in Toulouse, in southern France on Monday morning. They were reportedly a 30-year-old school teacher, his six and three-year-old sons, and a ten-year-old school boy. A 17-year-old boy was badly injured in the attack.

The incident happened on Monday morning at the drop-off point for the nursery- and primary-age children of the Ozar Hatorah school, which is located in the northeast of the city. The gunman escaped from the scene. He was wearing a helmet and fled on a black scooter.

The shooting comes a week after incidents in Toulouse and Montauban in which three people were killed and a fourth injured. The gunman also escaped on a scooter following that attack. The killer was reportedly armed with two weapons, one of which was the same .45 caliber as that fired in the attack on the paratroopers in Montauban. The AFP news agency said the gunman initially used a 9 mm weapon but it jammed so he switched to a .45 calibre gun.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy immediately traveled to Toulouse, together with the president of the French Jewish umbrella organization CRIF, Richard Prasquier. Sarkozy said it was "much too early" to know if there is a definite link. to the other shootings, adding: "Faced with this kind of toll, we can say that the French Republic as a whole has been hit by this appalling tragedy."

The Socialist candidate for the French presidency, François Hollande, condemned the shooting in the strongest terms, saying it was an "anti-Semitic and abhorrent attack." He also traveled to Toulouse to pay his respects to the victims and their families.

Reactions

World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder reacted with horror and shock to the attack, saying: “Today, Jews everywhere in the world are weeping in sorrow and disgust in the face of this despicable terrorist attack. Targeting children is a particularly sick and vile act, and nothing can justify it. This attack is an attack on all of us. We have full confidence that the French authorities will do everything in their power to quickly hunt down the perpetrator of this horrible crime and bring him to justice. Jews in all countries stand shoulder to shoulder with French Jewry. We weep for the victims, and our hearts go out to their families,” Lauder added. The WJC president praised the show of solidarity by senior French politicians in the wake of the attack.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, said in a statement: “While many of the details are still emerging, it appears that this was a premeditated attack with the intention to murder Jewish children. We hope the authorities will spare no resources in apprehending the perpetrator. Whoever did this is looking to target the Jewish community at its weakest point, its youth, in the hopes of spreading fear throughout the community. They will not suceed."

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, declared: "There is today an urgent need to ensure that appropriate security measures are put in place at all Jewish institutions in Europe to ensure that the safety of Jews on this continent is not placed in jeopardy."

Claude Guéant, the French interior minister, has ordered security to be tightened around all Jewish schools in the country. France's chief rabbi Gilles Bernheim said he was "horrified" and "stunned" by the attack. The Israeli government said in a first reaction that it trusted the French authorities "to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice".

The head of the French Muslim Council, Mohammed Moussaou, expressed the "solidarity of all French Muslims with the Jewish community in France."

Source: World Jewish Congress

UN, Israel Lead Condemnation of France School Killings

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The United Nations and Israel led world condemnation of the shooting of three children and a teacher at a Jewish school in France, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "despicable murder".

Children aged four, five and seven, and a 30-year-old religious education teacher, the father of two of the young victims, were shot dead on Monday as they arrived for classes at the Ozar Hatorah school in the southwestern city of Toulouse.

The killer, riding a powerful scooter, is suspected to be the same gunman who shot dead three soldiers of Arab origin in two incidents earlier this month in Toulouse and nearby Montauban.

"In France today there was a despicable murder of Jews, including small children," Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party.

"It is too early to determine exactly what the background to the murderous act was, but we certainly cannot rule out the option that it was motivated by violent and murderous anti-Semitism."

On the other side of the Middle East conflict, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat also expressed his outrage, saying: "We strongly condemn all terrorist operations, and in particular the attack today in Toulouse."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the killings "in the strongest possible terms".

Ban was "saddened by the tragic deaths" of the three children and the father of two of the dead children in the shooting in the southwest city of Toulouse, said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.

"In attacking children and a Jewish teacher, the anti-Semitic motive of the attack appears to be obvious," Sarkozy said in a nationally televised address after he returned to Paris from the scene of the shooting.

In Washington, the White House condemned the "outrageous" and "unprovoked" shooting. "We were deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack this morning," said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.

New York police beefed up security around synagogues and Jewish institutions.

The dead teacher was named by a relative as Jonathan Sandler, originally from Jerusalem, who had moved to France last year. He had dual Franco-Israeli nationality.

The Vatican also voiced outrage, with spokesman Federico Lombardi condemning the "horrific and heinous act", noting that it followed other "senseless violence" in France.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke of an act of "calculated cruelty" which he said would "unite all decent people in revulsion and condemnation."

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti also expressed "outrage and alarm," stressing that "anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance are utterly contrary to the... values that underlie all of humanity".

European Union chief Herman Van Rompuy denounced an "odious crime", Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was "shocked by the cruelty", and his Belgian counterpart voiced his "horror and indignation".

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "I hope the perpetrators are found quickly and are called to account."

"Anti-Semitism and violence against Jewish institutions or people of Jewish faith have no place in Europe and must be rigorously punished," he added.

Poland's foreign ministry said: "Such acts of terror can have no justification and must be condemned unreservedly by the civilised world."

Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden stepped up security around Jewish schools and other buildings, while European Jewish groups urged France to catch the gunman. There were expressions of outrage from Jewish groups on other continents.

"They will not succeed, the Jews of Europe in general and the Jews of France in particular have a long history of standing firm against hatred and violence," he added.

The Brussels-based Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) said: "It is difficult to believe that the main challenge to European Jewry remains anti-Semitism and threats to their lives."

RCE deputy director Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg added: "This act of barbarity and murder will be met with a Jewish response. We will bury the dead, look after the injured, and we will demand that justice is pursued through the appropriate channels."

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird sent a message on his Twitter account Monday morning expressing his "solemn and sincere condolences to those affected by the shootings at Toulouse," as Canada's Jewish community said it shared "the terrible pain" being felt in Toulouse and beyond.

Source: AFP

The World Observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

More Countries around the world honored International Holocaust Remembrance Day with talks, concerts, and services.

The theme for this year’s remembrance day, which is on the anniversary of when Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1945, is “Children and the Holocaust.” It is estimated 1.5 million children died during the Nazi-driven atrocity.

In Poland, 30 Holocaust survivors were among those who participated in a holy mass at a church in Oswiecim, the town where Auschwitz was located.

In Germany, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert urged his fellow countrymen to fight against anti-Semitism after a recent survey found 20 percent of Germans harbor anti-Semitic feelings.

Lammert said that was “exactly 20 percent too much.”

The German survey also found that close to 20 percent of German citizens between 18 to 30 did not know where Auschwitz was, and 33 percent did not know what country the death camp was in.

Several other leaders around the world released statements today, including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who said that young people need to be �aware of the important historical events, terrible as they may be, so that they can learn early on of the importance of their words and attitudes towards those who are different from them."

United States President Barack Obama said that America will �stand strong against all those who would commit atrocities, against the resurgence of anti-Semitism, and against hatred in all its forms."

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said he felt a �specific responsibility� as a German to educate others about the Holocaust.

"The German people of today is not guilty [of the Holocaust], but responsible for keeping the memory alive," Schultz said. "For me, this means that whoever is representing the German nation has one important duty-to take into account our responsibility for the Jews in the world."

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor, who hosted Schulz and others at the EJC’s event, asked all of Europe �to recognize evil and prevent its reemergence.�

"If we don�t remember it, and don�t study it, and don�t learn about it, we cannot learn from it; we can never be confident we can recognize it and stop its emergence in time," Kantor said, adding that �we are witnessing a rise in anti-Semitism.�

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that his country was �determined� to pass down knowledge of the Holocaust to new generations.

"While the direct witnesses of the Holocaust have, for the most part, already died, the international community has a duty to keep its memory alive so that humankind never experiences such a tragedy again," he said. "This duty to remember is a collective responsibility. We must reject all forms of trivialization. By remembering the Holocaust we are reminded of the barbarity of which man is capable, but we are also reminded of the acts of resistance and solidarity between human beings faced with the horror of extermination."

Belgium, who in 2012 assumed the presidency of the International Task Force for Holocaust Remembrance Education and Research, honored Remembrance Day in the city of Mechelen at a ceremony attended by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, the wife of Nazi criminals hunter Serge Klarsfeld, and Julius Berman, the chairman of the Claims Conference in New York.

New Zealand was technically the first country in the world to honor Remembrance Day, thanks to its time zone. There was a ceremony at the Jewish Cemetery at Makara, as well as an official parliamentary event.

In Britain, a survey taken by the country�s Holocaust Memorial Day Trust found that over half of respondents believe social media must take more action to fight discrimination. 39% said they had used social networks to speak up about something they cared about. 41% said they had intervened in a case of online bullying, while close to 25% said they had done nothing when observing online discrimination.

The trust�s theme this year was �Speak Up, Speak Out.� Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams issued a statement on the subject, urging people to protect the rights of �people like us and also for people not like us.�

"Holocaust Memorial Day brings back to our minds the appalling consequences of a situation when people don't speak for their neighbor and don't speak for the stranger, when people are concerned for their own security, their own comfort zones. And when we look back on that tragic history, one of the things that prevents it from being a totally dark night is the presence of some of those who were willing to speak for strangers and to take risks alongside strangers,� he said.

Prime Minister David Cameron led a group of British officials in signing the Holocaust Education Trust�s Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, signifying the British politicians� commitment to fighting all types of prejudice.

In the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, a small group of Holocaust survivors attended their weekly meeting to discuss the Holocaust. This meeting is the first of its kind, as the ultra-Orthodox have always declined to participate in Israel�s Holocaust ceremonies each spring, ignoring the two-minute air raid siren that halts all activity in the country.

�We don�t come to a standstill once a year, we mark the Holocaust each day in our prayers,�� said Rabbi Benjamin Kovalsky, the meeting�s organizer told the Associated Press. �The approach is different. This meeting is our air raid siren. Every week we deliver a slap to Hitler with the very fact that we are here.��

�We stayed alive. We survived. How could this have happened without the almighty?�� said Alex Seidenfeld, an 82-year-old survivor, when asked the question of how one could still believe in God after experiencing the Holocaust. �The almighty knows what he is doing. He has a plan that we sometimes don�t understand.��

Elsewhere in Jeruslaem, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum hosted an exhibit of portraits created by Jewish artists. �Last Portrait: Painting for Posterity� features over 200 pictures documenting Jews living in ghettos and Nazi death camps during World War II.

"The exhibition testifies to the tremendous creative drive that moved Jewish artists from different backgrounds to diligently draw entire series of portraits, despite appalling living conditions and lacking crucial tools of the trade," a Yad Vashem spokesman said. �With just a few lines of pencil or charcoal on paper, the artists managed to breathe life into the images of people in the shadow of death."

Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom published his thoughts in Israel Hayom, writing that International Holocaust Remembrance Day "represents a sweeping rejection of any effort to deny the Holocaust."

"Anti-Semitism was and is still, pure evil. It seems that many in the free world already understand that this type of malicious hatred, is no longer just the problem of the Jewish people, or the state of Israel, alone. Every citizen in the world is, in fact, an enemy of the destructive spirit of hatred; therefore it is appropriate that every free nation recognize, in advance, the dangers of such hostility and the harsh future implications of it," he wrote.

Earlier in the week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the Special Knesset session marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"Against this background, I would like to ask you: can we say with certainty that the world will not sit silently by in the face of renewed efforts to destroy our people, the Jewish people-again, without detracting from the importance of the joining together today of leading countries in the international community to mark the Holocaust of the Jewish people 70 years ago. But because it is today, I must ask how the world responds to the calls for the destruction of our people that are heard today," Netanyahu said.

He continued: "Seventy years after the Holocaust, many people in the world keep silent despite the statements made in Iran to erase Israel from the face of the Earth. Many people keep silent despite the calls made by the Hizbollah to destroy the State of Israel and despite their murderous acts. Many people keep silent despite the calls by the Hamas to murder Jews wherever they may be."

The prime minister praised the European Union�s decision to place sanctions on Iranian oil exports, but said Israel will do whatever it has to in order to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

�However, specifically on this day of international cooperation, of this important achievement vis-à-vis Iran, I would like to remind us all the main lesson of the Holocaust of our people," he said. "In the end, with regard to threats to our very existence, we cannot abandon our future to the hands of others. With regard to our fate, our duty is to rely on ourselves alone."

Source: Jspace.com

EJC President Receives Prestigious French Award

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), was awarded the Chevalier Dans L’Ordre National de la Legion d’honneur by the President of France on Tuesday.

The award is the highest level of the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, established by Napoleon Bonaparte. Past recipients of the award include the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Britain�s Queen Elizabeth II, and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Dr. Kantor received the award for working towards the rights of minorities, promoting interfaith relations, leading the fight against racism and anti-Semitism and pushing for a more tolerant Europe in his roles at the European Jewish Congress, the democratically-elected umbrella organization representing European Jewry.

“I am humbled by this honor,” Kantor said after receiving the award. “I see this award as acknowledgment of my work against intolerance and discrimination in Europe.”

He added, �For many years I have tried to press European leaders to establish new and tougher laws against racism and anti-Semitism and this award is recognition of my efforts to implement a new thinking towards prejudice on the European continent through the concept of secured tolerance.�

Kantor also spoke about the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe, especially on the day marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

�Today, unfortunately, I remain haunted by the permanent threat represented by the evil of anti-Semitism,� Kantor said. �Contrary to what many people thought in 1945, anti-Semitism did not disappear after Auschwitz. It is still a growing concern, and therefore I see it as a duty and a personal responsibility to continue fighting this phenomenon."

In his speech to the European Parliament on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dr. Kantor warned against regimes such as the Iranian one that seek to destroy Israel, 70 years after the Holocaust.

�Today we look to the East, to Iran, and we face again a new regime of evil that abuses its own citizens, that threatens to annihilate a democratic state, the only state of the Jewish people, and that threatens world peace and the very destruction of western civilization,� he said. �We dare not delude ourselves, imagining that this kingdom of evil is somehow far away, of another planet, or will just fade away; we cannot afford to ever again lose our own planet.�

Source: Arutz Sheva

Holocaust Remembrance Day Marked At European Parliament in Brussels

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been marked in the European Parliament (EP) at a ceremony organized by the European Jewish Congress (EJC). EP President Martin Schulz said during the special session: "As a German who was born after World War II I feel that I have a very specific responsibility. Because what was decided at the so-called Wannsee Conference - the extermination of the Jewish people - was done in the name of the German people," Schulz told the 500 guests at the ceremony in Brussels, adding: “The German people of today is not guilty [for the Holocaust], but responsible for keeping the memory alive... For me, this means that whoever is representing the German nation has one important duty: to take into account our responsibility for the Jews in the world...The Holocaust must always be fresh in our minds and souls, in the conscience of humanity, and should serve as an incontrovertible warning for all time."

Schulz said that he had decided that from 2012 Holocaust Remembrance Day will become an official annual event of the European Parliament. During the ceremony, European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Moshe Kantor called on Europe "to recognize evil and prevent its re-emergence.” Kantor said: “If we don’t remember it, and don’t study it, and don�t learn about it, we cannot learn from it; we can never be confident we can recognize it and stop its emergence in time," Kantor told the audience, which also included Israel�s minister for public diplomacy and Diaspora affairs, Yuli Edelstein, as well as several EU commissoners and ambassadors. Justice Gabriel Bach, who was the senior prosecutor at the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem in 1961, also gave a moving speech.

Earlier, at joint press conference with Minister Edelstein, Moshe Kantor applauded Monday's EU decision to impose an oil embargo on Iran, calling it an "historic move." He urged the European Union to pursue more sanctions against Iran and called for a complete boycott on the Iranian economy. Edelstein warned that �we will not live under threat, we will not beg for compassion and wait for another conference with abated breath.”

After the ceremony in the European Parliament, Kantor was awarded the French Legion of Honor by the country�s ambassador in Brussels, Philippe Etienne, for his work in defending the rights of minorities, promoting interfaith relations, leading the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, and pushing for a more tolerant Europe.

Netanyahu warns of Iranian nuclear threat

In Israel�s parliament, the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the lessons of the Holocaust and the danger a nuclear-armed Iran, said that Israel must not shy from acting alone to thwart any threat to its existence. He praised a European Union decision to place sanctions on Iranian oil exports. "But on this day of international cooperation and an important achievement against Iran, I want to remind everyone of the main lesson of the Holocaust against our people - that ultimately when there is threat to our existence, we must not leave our fate in the hands of others," he said. "When it is a question of our fate, it is our obligation to rely only on ourselves."

Source: World Jewish Congress

EJC President Gets French Legion of Honor

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), was awarded the Chevalier Dans L’Ordre National de la Legion d’honneur by the president of France on Tuesday night.

The award is the highest level of the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, established by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Amongst past recipients of the award are the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Britain�s Queen Elizabeth II, and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Dr. Kantor received the award, presented by Ambassador Philippe Etienne Permanent Representative of the French Republic to the European Union, for working towards the rights of minorities, promoting interfaith relations, leading the fight against racism and anti-Semitism and pushing for a more tolerant Europe in his roles at the European Jewish Congress, the democratically-elected umbrella organization representing European Jewry.

“I am humbled by this honor,” Kantor said after receiving the award. “I see this award as acknowledgment of my work against intolerance and discrimination in Europe.”

�For many years I have tried to press European leaders to establish new and tougher laws against racism and anti-Semitism and this award is recognition of my efforts to implement a new thinking towards prejudice on the European continent through the concept of secured tolerance.�

Kantor also spoke about the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe, especially on the day marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"It is still a growing concern, and therefore I see it as a duty and a personal responsibility to continue fighting this phenomenon."

Source: Ynetnews

European Jewish Congress Head Honoured by Sarkozy

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The head of the umbrella body for European Jews has been awarded one of France's most prestigious honours.

Dr Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, was given the Chevalier Dans L'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur – the highest level of the order – at a ceremony on Tuesday.

President Sarkozy gave him the award, which dates back to 1802 and was established under Napoleon Bonaparte, in recognition of his work challenging racism and antisemitism in Europe.

Dr Kantor joins other recipients of the honour including former US president Dwight Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II.

He said he was humbled to receive the award.

"For many years I have tried to press European leaders to establish new and tougher laws against racism and antisemitism.

"Today, unfortunately, I remain haunted by the permanent threat represented by the evil of antisemitism," he added, noting that this Friday is internationally marked as Holocaust Memorial Day. "Contrary to what many people thought in 1945, antisemitism did not disappear after Auschwitz. It is still a growing concern, and therefore I see it as a duty and a personal responsibility to continue fighting this phenomenon."

Source: The Jewish Chronicle online

EJC President: Sweden a Center of Anti-Semitism

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Sweden has become “a center of anti-Semitism,” the president of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor, told The Jerusalem Post Tuesday night, ahead of a ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels to commemorate the Holocaust.

“Sweden, previously a calm country where there was no anti-Semitic problem just a few years ago, is a center of anti-Semitism,” Kantor said. He added that it was �unthinkable that in the 21st century Jews need to move from the city of Malmo to Stockholm and elsewhere.�

The Swedish government, he said, is the only government in the European Union refusing to talk about anti- Semitism in its borders with the European Jewish Congress – an umbrella organization of communities from across the continent.

Kantor said he had repeatedly contacted the office of Swedish Prime Minister Fredik Reinfeldt, but has received no reply.

�It’s a conspiracy of silence. They apparently think that if they say nothing, the problem will go away but we know it persists,� Kantor said.

Markus Friberg, press secretary of the Swedish prime minister, told the Post he could not provide Reinfeldt’s reaction in time for this edition, but noted that Sweden �invests four million Swedish crowns in increased security for the Jewish community. [Sweden�s] Jewish Central Council will have most of the money, 3.5m., at its disposal.�

Sweden�s integration minister, Erik Ullenhang, said: �Anti-Semitic expressions and other behavior based on racist beliefs are never acceptable in a democratic society.� The extra funding for security owed to the fact that �the Jewish congregations are today forced to take extra precautions to ensure that people dare to visit synagogues, Jewish meetings etc. in Sweden.�

Asked about new cross-European trends of modern anti-Semitism, Kantor said that research, which he initiated by Tel Aviv University�s watchdog on European anti-Semitism, shows numerous Iranian-funded NGO�s are �behind the publication and encouragement of anti-Semitism.�

Speaking before a crowd of 500 people at the European Parliament ahead of International Holocaust Day, January 27, Kantor referred to new sanctions that the Council of Europe approved against Iran as a �necessity.�

Earlier on Tuesday, Kantor referred to the decision to boycott Iranian oil as an �historical move.�

But he said this move must be followed by further sanctions – including a total embargo on Iranian exports � if it fails to deliver results. The decision to delay the application of the new sanction until May through June was �wrong,� Kantor said.

�Giving the Iranians a month to comply would have sufficed.�

Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, who also spoke before the parliament, warned that �we will not live under threat, we will not beg for compassion and wait for another conference with abated breath.�

Kantor � who received the decoration of the French Legion of Honor on Tuesday � spoke at the event in Brussels after Martin Shultz, the newly appointed German-born president of the European Parliament.

Referring to the Wannsee Conference, in which, 70 years ago, Nazi leaders decided on the �final solution to the Jewish problem,� Schultz said: �This decision was made in the name of the German nation.

�As a representative of the German people, it is my responsibility to keep the memory and never forget what happened 70 years ago in our name.

The German nation�s duty is to take in account its responsibility for Jews today.�

The last and fourth speaker at the ceremony was Gabriel Bach, a former senior justice of the Supreme Court, who was the prosecutor at the trial of Adolf Eichmann 50 years ago. Eichmann, Bach said, never felt regret for the mass murder of Jews. Eichmann�s expressions of regret, he said were �mere lip service.�

Eichmann is reported to have said during his trial � after which he was executed � that the Holocaust was the �worst crime committed in history.�

In his address, Bach recalled testimony by a Dutch journalist who spoke to Eichmann after the war, who said Eichmann told him in the 1950s that his only regret was that �not being tougher on the Jews.� Eichmann reportedly added that the proof that �tougher� treatment was necessary �is the establishment of Israel, a Jewish state.�

Source: The Jerusalem Post

The New President of the European Parliament Opens International Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony by Stressing the German �Specific Responsibility�

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The newly elected President of the European Parliament, German Martin Schulz, paid tribute to the memory of the six millions Jews who were killed in the Holocaust, during a special ceremony at the seat of the EU institution in Brussels.

"As a German representative who was born after World War II , I feel that I have a very specific responsibility. Because what was decided at the so-called Wannsee conference, the extermination of the Jewish people, was done in the name of the German people," he said at the event organized Tuesday by the European Jewish Congress to mark the International Holocaust remembrance Day organized by the European Jewish Congress.

This year marks 70 years since the Wannsee Conference and 50 years since the end of the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

"I am a representative of the German people and the German people of today is not guilty but responsible to keep the memory and to never forget what happened. For me, this means whoever is representing today the German nation has one first duty: to take into account our responsibility for the Jews in the world."

"My first duty as a German representative and as President of this parliament is to say: never more," he added.

"Whatever happens in the world today regarding anti-Semitism or actions against the existence of the Jewish community or the state of Israel, we are the first who have to defend our Jewish friends," Schultz said.

"The Holocaust must always be fresh in our minds and souls, in the conscience of humanity, and should serve as an incontrovertible warning for all time."

Schulz has decided that from next yar the Holocaust Remembrance Day which commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on 27 January 1945 ill become an official annual event of the European Parliament.

During the ceremony, European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor called on Europe "to recognize evil and prevent its reemergence."

"If we don’t remember it, and don’t study it, and don�t learn about it, we cannot learn from it; we can never be confident we can recognize it and stop its emergence in time," Kantor told the audience which also included Israel�s Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, as well as several EU Commissoners and ambassadors.

The ceremony, which began with 'El Maleh Rahamim', the Jewish memorial prayer, was marked by moving testimonies from Holocaust survivor Chana Bar-Yesha, who lives in Israel, Andrée Geulen-Herscovici, a Belgian Righteous Among the Nations who saved around 4,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust, and Justice Gabriel Bach who was the senior prosecutor at the Adolf Eichmann trial in Jerusalem in 1961.

Earlier, at at joint press conference with Minister Edelstein, Moshe Kantor applauded Monday's EU decision to impose an oil embargo on Iran, calling it an "historic move."

He also said that "we are witnessing a rise in anti-Semitism" in Europe. He mentioned in particular Sweden which, he said, "has become the center of anti-Semitism." "In the city of Malmö, for example, Jews have disappeared because of this situation and the Swedish government doesn't react."

Source: European Jewish Press

European Parliament Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The European Parliament marked the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday. President Martin Schulz said during the special session: "As a German, I feel a responsibility for what has happened in my country, even though I was born afterwards. My main duty as a politician is to ensure that 'never again'."

During the ceremony, European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Moshe Kantor was awarded the French order Legion of Honor. Kantor urged the European Union to pursue more sanctions against Iran and called for a complete boycott on the Iranian economy.

Source: Ynetnews

Czech Republic to Host Summit on Upgrading EU-Israel Ties

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A concerted campaign to upgrade relations between Israel and the European Union will soon be launched, European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor announced.

Speaking at a press conference along with Israel’s Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, he stressed that both Europe and Israel "share similar values and interests and this require greater expression in differing spheres of the relationship."

"Europe and Israel are partners in freedom, liberty and democracy and should have closer ties diplomatically, culturally and economically," Kantor said.

"Upgrading ties is a win-win situation for both Europe and Israel."

The EJC President announced a plan to organize an international summit, together with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas in May in Prague, for European and Israeli leaders to discuss firm steps towards an upgrade in ties.

"The Czech Republic will host and invite other EU Prime Ministers as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to this event," Kantor told EJP.

The Czech Republic is among the most pro-Israel countries in the EU.

Although the EU Foreign Ministers agreed to upgrade its ties with Israel in June 2008 by redrafting the Action Plan under the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy and by enhancing the level of political contacts, the process was later frozen by the EU because of the lack of progress in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

"The EU uses the upgrading process as a mean to pressure the Israeli government to alter the situation," one EU source told EJP.

Source: European Jewish Press

President of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor, Awarded French �Légion d�honneur� By President Sarkozy

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), was awarded the Chevalier Dans L’Ordre National de la Legion d’honneur by the President of France last night.

The award is the highest level of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour, established by Napoleon Bonaparte. Amongst past recipients of the award are the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Britain�s Queen Elizabeth II, and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. , Britain�s Queen Elizabeth II, and US President .

“I am humbled by this honor,” Kantor said after receiving the award. “I see this award as acknowledgment of my work against intolerance and discrimination in Europe.”

Kantor also spoke about the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe, especially on the day marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. �Today, unfortunately, I remain haunted by the permanent threat represented by the evil of anti-Semitism,� Kantor said. �Contrary to what many people thought in 1945, anti-Semitism did not disappear after Auschwitz. It is still a growing concern, and therefore I see it as a duty and a personal responsibility to continue fighting this phenomenon.�

Belgium Design Duo Alters Holocaust-Themed Fence

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A Belgiun design duo altered their design for a fence evoking the Buchenwald concentration camp following uproar by various groups in Europe, design website fastcodedesign.com reported Tuesday.

Job Smeets and Nynke Tyangel, from Antwerp, designed a fence that consists of "two chimneys joined by an arch of smoke with a bell hanging from the middle."

To cap it off, the design pair, called Studio Job, inscribed the bell with the words "To Each His Own," which translated to German are the words that adorned the Buchenwald entrance itself.

According to the report, the project sparked public outrage across Europe. French European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor slammed the work, saying it trivialized the Holocaust.

As a result of the outspoken criticism, the artists announced that they would alter the "original plans for the gate" inspired by the largest concentration camp on German soil.

"We thoroughly regret it if this has caused upset and grief with parties affected by this, that has in no way been our intention," Studio Job wrote to fastcodedesign.com.

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Jewish EJC Commends EU on Iran Sanctions Decision

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) on Thursday commended the European Union for agreeing in principle to ban the import of oil from Iran. EJC President Moshe Kantor said the decision announced by European officials earlier this week was an important measure that would help deter the defiant Islamic Republic from pursuing its nuclear program.

“Europe has sent an extremely important message that long-term global security should not be compromised for short-term economic interests,” said Kantor. “Although we will see a rise in oil prices in the near future, it is nothing in comparison to how a nuclear-armed Iran will be able to dictate oil prices for the foreseeable future, especially given their attempted control of vital oil shipping lines."

Italy, Spain and Greece are the biggest importers of Iranian oil in Europe which provides 5.8 percent of the continent's supply of crude petroleum. Western countries in recent years have imposed a growing number of sanctions on Tehran which they fear is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The measures have caused the Rial, Iran's currency, to plummet in value in recent months. At the same time, Iranian threats to close the vital Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to commercial shipping have sent oil prices rocketing. European officials are set to meet in the next few months to hammer out when and how the ban will be implemented.

Source: Jerusalem Post

EJC President Slams EU Secret Report On Status of Arab Communities in Israel

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Moshe Kantor condemned the content of a secret report prepared by European Union officials on the gaps between the Jewish and Arab communities in Israel.

An EU working paper mentioning that EU ambassadors in Israel are concerned over Israel's treatment of its Arab minority was recently disclosed by daily newspaper Haaretz

"This report is one-sided and is lacking in credibility," he said.

"That the report uses Adalah as a primary source says more about the report’s credibility than it does about Israeli society," he added.

He added: "Adalah, an extremist organization on the margins of society, openly declares a radical political agenda to change the nature of the State of Israel and has worked alongside some of the most radical elements in the region. It is like using sources from Front National to understand French society or the British National Party to understand British society."

The confidential 27-page brief outlined a large number of indicators suggesting that Israeli Arabs "suffer from economic disparities, unequal access to land and housing, discriminatory draft legislation and a political climate in which discriminatory rhetoric and practice go unsanctioned."

The brief also outlines "policy instruments" and "leverage" that it is suggested can be utilized to pressure Israel on these issues.

It says "stalemate in the peace process, and the continuing occupation, inevitably has an impact on the identification of Israeli Arabs with Israel."

"It will be more difficult for Israeli Arabs to be wholly at ease with their identity while the conflict with the Palestinians continues."

The document says that "this should not be used as an excuse for hostile behavior by Israeli Arabs which alienates the Jewish majority, or for failure by Israeli government to achieve genuinely equal treatment of Israeli Arabs."

According to Kantor, "the fact that the drafters of this document issue veiled threats against Israel to adopt the maximalist demands of one side in the Middle East conflict demonstrates how partial some European diplomats have become, making their role less than useful in finding a long-standing solution."

"Rather than deal with the real human rights abuses and intolerance in the Middle East, the obsession of some European officials, who had few words to say about decades of repression towards minorities, constantly turn their ire towards the only democracy in the region," the EJC President continued.

Source: European Jewish Press

European Companies Cooperate With 'Nuclear Weapons-Hungry Iran'

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

In a new book, Manifesto on Secure Tolerance, European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor, blasted hundreds of European companies for “cooperating with nuclear weapons-hungry Iran.”

In the book Kantor compares European firms trading with the Islamic Republic to “Nazi industrialists and scientists” who �all but brought Hitler close to the nuclear bomb and appropriate delivery vehicles by 1945.�

Kantor, who heads the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe, which periodically gathers top security experts to discuss proliferation concerns and ways to boost global security, warns that Iran’s nuclear program would eventually deal a death blow to the Non-Proliferation Treaty if left unchecked and trigger a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race.

�Many of these countries are unstable and balancing on the brink of radicalization,� Kantor wrote.

�This dramatically lowers the threshold of nuclear weapons use in regional or internal conflicts with a high probability of escalation to the global level in the near future,� he added.

Kantor also examined the threat of a crude atomic terrorist device detonated in a Western capital, which he said would turn �the entire civilized world into a hostage of terrorists.�

Source: hello.news352.lu

EJC President Slams European Firms Dealing With Iran

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor has, in a new book, blasted hundreds of European companies for “cooperating with nuclear3 weapons-hungry Iran.”

In the book, Manifesto on Secure Tolerance, Kantor compared European firms trading with the Islamic Republic to “Nazi industrialists and scientists” who �all but brought Hitler close to the nuclear bomb and appropriate delivery vehicles by 1945.�

Kantor also heads the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe, which periodically gathers top security experts to discuss proliferation concerns and ways to boost global security.

In his book, he warned that Iran’s nuclear program would eventually deal a death blow to the Non-Proliferation Treaty if left unchecked and trigger a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race.

�Many of these countries are unstable and balancing on the brink of radicalization,� Kantor wrote.

�This dramatically lowers the threshold of nuclear weapons use in regional or internal conflicts with a high probability of escalation to the global level in the near future,� he added.

Kantor also examined the threat of a crude atomic terrorist device detonated in a Western capital, which he said would turn �the entire civilized world into a hostage of terrorists.�

He called for the creation of a Euro-Atlantic bloc, including the US, Europe, Russia, as well as China and India, to confront the threat of proliferation.

During a meeting of the Luxembourg Forum in Moscow earlier this month, former US Secretary of Defense William Perry endorsed Israeli assessments that put Iran’s nuclear weapons program just months away from crossing a point of no return.

Perry�s comments were later echoed by senior American defense officials, including US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

Source: Jerusalem Post

EJC Mourns Death of Vaclav Havel

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) is mourning the death of former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel.

According to a statement issued by the Jewish organization, Havel was known as a great friend of the Jews and did much to confront anti-Semitism and teach the lessons of the dark chapter of the Holocaust during his two terms in office.

EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor, who was a colleague of Havel’s on the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, said that he would be sadly missed.

“Having personally worked with him, I can attest to the tremendous moral qualities of President Havel,” Kantor said.

“He was a figure for a new and modern Europe to emulate. President Havel lived through communism and led the Czech Republic to a new era helping move his countrymen through a troubled past to a more open, free and tolerant future.

�President Havel was a true and steadfast friend of the Jewish people and will be missed by European Jewry.”

Source: Ynetnews

Dutch Ban on Ritual Slaughter in Doubt As Senate Considers Jewish, Muslim Objections

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Political support for a proposed ban on slaughtering animals without stunning them first appeared to crumble Tuesday as the Dutch senate debated legislation that Muslim and Jewish groups say violates their religious rights.

The ban - proposed by an animal rights party and widely supported by Dutch voters - passed Parliament’s lower house by a 116-30 margin in June, raising an international outcry from religious groups.

Although senators will not vote until Dec. 20, it appeared from Tuesday’s debate that several parties that initially backed the ban in parliament - including the Netherlands� two largest - have changed their mind.

If the Netherlands does outlaw the slaughtering practices that make meat kosher for Jews or halal for Muslims, it will be the second country after New Zealand to do so in recent years. It would join Switzerland, the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, whose bans are mostly traceable to pre-World War II anti-Semitism.

Speaking first, Labor senator Nico Schrijver said his party now has “many questions” about the bill, including asking why it “so specifically aims its arrows at the rather small number of ritual slaughterers and why not large-scale industrial slaughter, which involves 500 million animals per year?”

�It seems to me that there may be much more effective, and less far-reaching methods that achieve the same goal� of improving animal welfare, Schrijver said, citing better education for slaughterers and better conditions in slaughterhouses.

Muslims, mostly immigrants from Turkey and Morocco, represent about a million of the 16 million Dutch population. The once-strong Jewish community numbers around 50,000 after most were deported and killed by the Nazis during World War II.

In both religions, tradition prescribes that animals� throats be cut swiftly with a razor-sharp knife while they are still conscious, so that they bleed to death quickly.

Support for the ban comes both from left-leaning voters who see this technique as inhumane, and from social conservatives who see it as foreign and barbaric.

Outside the debate, Esther Ouwehand of the tiny Party for the Animals, which proposed the ban, said it was unjust to inflict �extra suffering on animals to satisfy religious opinion.�

The ban�s most influential backer has been the Netherlands� anti-Islam Freedom Party.

�Do we want such practices in a civilized country as ours?� asked Freedom senator Marjolein Faber, after describing a worst-case scenario of a panicked animal taking six minutes to lose consciousness after a botched ritual slaughter.

The Royal Dutch Veterinary Association says it believes slaughtering cattle in particular while still conscious inflicts unnecessary suffering.

But Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress, said there is �no scientific evidence� that religious slaughter, performed properly, is more painful for animals than stunning.

He said the law should be voted down in the name of freedom of religion.

�If this law is passed in a country known for its tolerant and open society, it could result in a very dangerous domino effect that could spread to other parts of Europe,� he said.

Among the two parties in the Netherlands� governing coalition, the Christian Democrats opposed the ban from the beginning out of concern for the rights of religious minorities.

The pro-business VVD party, the country�s largest, also now appears unlikely to support the ban.

VVD senator Sybe Schaap slammed the bill for �ethical absolutism� and said offering incentives for slaughterhouses to improve their practices would have a more positive effect than a ban.

The Dutch undersecretary for Economic Affairs Henk Blekers has said the Cabinet will only take a position on the bill after the Senate vote.

Source: Associated Press

Dutch Senate Debates Ritual Slaughter Ban

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The ban - proposed by an animal rights party and widely supported by Dutch voters - passed Parliament's lower house by a 116-30 margin in June, raising an international outcry from religious groups.

Although senators will not vote until Dec. 20, it appeared from Tuesday's debate that several parties that initially backed the ban in parliament - including the Netherlands' two largest - have changed their mind.

Speaking first, Labor senator Nico Schrijver said his party now has "many questions" about the bill, including asking why it "so specifically aims its arrows at the rather small number of ritual slaughterers and why not large-scale industrial slaughter, which involves 500 million animals per year?"

"It seems to me that there may be much more effective, and less far-reaching methods that achieve the same goal" of improving animal welfare, Schrijver said, citing better education for slaughterers and better conditions in slaughterhouses.

In both religions, tradition prescribes that animals' throats be cut swiftly with a razor-sharp knife while they are still conscious, so that they bleed to death quickly.

Support for the ban comes both from left-leaning voters who see this technique as inhumane, and from social conservatives who see it as foreign and barbaric.

Outside the debate, Esther Ouwehand of the tiny Party for the Animals, which proposed the ban, said it was unjust to inflict "extra suffering on animals to satisfy religious opinion."

The ban's most influential backer has been the Netherlands' anti-Islam Freedom Party.

"Do we want such practices in a civilized country as ours?" asked Freedom senator Marjolein Faber, after describing a worst-case scenario of a panicked animal taking six minutes to lose consciousness after a botched ritual slaughter.

The Royal Dutch Veterinary Association says it believes slaughtering cattle in particular while still conscious inflicts unnecessary suffering.

But Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress, said there is "no scientific evidence" that religious slaughter, performed properly, is more painful for animals than stunning.

He said the law should be voted down in the name of freedom of religion.

"If this law is passed in a country known for its tolerant and open society, it could result in a very dangerous domino effect that could spread to other parts of Europe," he said.

Among the two parties in the Netherlands' governing coalition, the Christian Democrats opposed the ban from the beginning out of concern for the rights of religious minorities.

The pro-business VVD party, the country's largest, also now appears unlikely to support the ban.

VVD senator Sybe Schaap slammed the bill for "ethical absolutism" and said offering incentives for slaughterhouses to improve their practices would have a more positive effect than a ban.

The Dutch undersecretary for Economic Affairs Henk Blekers has said the Cabinet will only take a position on the bill after the Senate vote.

Source: Associated Press

Luxembourg Forum�s Supervisory Council Discussed New Approaches to Arms Control and Promoting Non-proliferation Regime

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

On December 12-13, 2011, the Supervisory Council of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe met in Moscow. The Supervisory Council summarized the Forum’s results for the year, analysed the developments in nuclear arms limitation and reduction, nuclear arms non-proliferation, and formulated guidelines for the Forum in 2012. The meeting discussed pressing issues regarding the development of relations between Russia and U.S./NATO, including further reduction of nuclear arms under the next START Treaty, overcoming the crisis of the European missile defense system, development of Iran’s and North Korea�s nuclear programmes, and preventing the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The meeting was attended by the Supervisory Council members, Moshe Kantor, president of the Luxembourg Forum; William Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Professor at Stanford University; Hans Blix, former IAEA Director General, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission; Rolf Ekeus, Chairman of the Governing Board, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; Nikolay Laverov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Anatoly Antonov, Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation; Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom; Alexey Arbatov, Head of the Center for International Security of the Institute for World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences; Vladimir Dvorkin, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the International Luxembourg Forum, Chief Researcher of the Institute for World Economy and International Relations, Major-General, ret.; and Sergei Oznobishchev, Director of the Institute for Strategic Assessments.

The Supervisory Council approved the Forum�s efforts in 2011 and welcomed the outcomes of the Luxembourg Forum-SIPRI joint conference held this June 13-14 in Stockholm. Meanwhile, they noted that the developments following the conference have provided grounds for growing concerns about the future of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Russia and the U.S. have so far failed to reach agreement concerning cooperation in the sphere of designing the missile defense system in Europe. This has increased tension and non-confidence between Russia and NATO which is reflected in several countermeasures planned by Russia. The prospects of further disarmament and viability of the existing treaties do not seem promising without progress in creating a joint missile defense system either. Therefore, approving the European missile defense architecture and information system integration could be first steps towards overcoming the contradictions.

Disagreements between the great powers on the measures to deal with Iran�s and North Korea�s nuclear programmes have been undermining their cooperation in promoting nuclear non-proliferation regime. This was demonstrated by the recent disturbing IAEA report regarding Iran�s nuclear activities, which gave rise to disagreements on IAEA�s valuation and possible sanctions on part of the UN Security Council and certain states.

In the context of escalating instability at the global and regional levels, the Forum�s Supervisory Council members recommend to pay special attention to active search of new cooperation areas, primarily in the sphere of promoting nuclear arms non-proliferation and strengthening anti-terror efforts.

The Supervisory Council members reported that the next, anniversary Luxembourg Forum meeting is scheduled for 2012 in Berlin to mark five years since the Forum�s foundation.

The Supervisory Council presented its recommendations to heads of state and international organisations, and leading decision-makers dealing with nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

***

The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe was established pursuant to a decision of the International Conference on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe held in Luxembourg on May 24-25, 2007. The Forum is one of the largest non-governmental organisations uniting leading, world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear arms, arms reduction and limitation.

The Forum�s priorities are:

·To facilitate the process of arms limitation and reduction and counteract growing threats to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and erosion of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including the escalating danger of nuclear terrorism and attempts by certain states to gain access to nuclear materials and technologies

·To promote international peace and security through new approaches and provide decision-makers with practical solutions to critical issues of non-proliferation and arms control

The principal guiding bodies of the Forum are the International Advisory Council (IAC) and the Supervisory Council (SC).

The Forum is headed by its President, Viatcheslav Kantor, PhD.

EJC President Kantor Calls on EU Leaders to Consider the Long Term Implications of a Nuclear Iran

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Awarding to Moshe Kantor, EJC President, of the �Medal of Merit for Tolerance�

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

On the occasion of the International Day of Tolerance, Moshe Kantor, EJC President, was awarded the “Medal of Merit for Tolerance” by the Ecumenical Foundation Tolerance in Warsaw on the 16th of November 2011. The Foundation was established in 1993 at the initiative of a group of intellectuals and social activists of different faiths and nationalities.

Every year since 1998 which marks the establishment by UNESCO of the International Day of Tolerance, the Foundation awards Medals of Merit for Tolerance. This medal is awarded to politicians, clergy people, artists, scientists and leaders who have strived towards increased tolerance in our society.

Moshe Kantor expressed his gratitude to the president of the Ecumenical Foundation, Jerzy Wiatr and all its esteemed members for this great honour and privilege. The work of the Foundation Ecumenical Tolerance is essential in the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, injustice against minorities and in the promotion of Tolerance across the globe, as well as for interfaith relations. The issues that the Foundation deals with are issues that the EJC holds close to its heart. The European Jewish Congress and the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR), co-chaired by Moshe Kantor, are also working towards similar goals.

It is worth mentioning that the Ecumenical Foundation of Tolerance awarded in previous years the Medal of Merit for Tolerance to, among others, Aleksander Kwasniewski, former President of Poland and co-chairman of ECTR, President Shimon Perez, President Barack Obama, Simone Veil, Amos Oz and Bernard Kouchner.

Source: JewPI.com

World Community Needs Laws on Tolerance - Expert

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The world community should work out legislation on tolerance and permanently monitor its observance. Vyacheslav Kantor, the co-chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) and president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), proposed this on Wednesday.

“Instilling the notion of tolerance in public consciousness is the requirement of the times,” Kantor told Itar-Tass. “This should be legislatively sealed,” he said. He believes that there can be limitations to this only in the matter of security. �It is exceedingly important to balance global security and secure tolerance,� said the co-chairman of the ECTR. �These notions are inseparable,� he said.

In this connection the expert recalled the initiative to establish the European Center on Tolerance and Security which, after consultations in the European Commission, is to open in Florence. �We have embarked on a broad, significant project,� Kantor said. �The center is to be the result of joint work of Russia, the EU and the US,� he said. Kantor summed up the results of the ECTR meeting in Moscow on October 25 at which the plan to hold an international conference in Kazan in 2011 was announced.

UNESCO, during the celebration of its 50th anniversary in 1995, proclaimed November 16 as the International Day for Tolerance.

Source: ITAR-TASS

European Jewish Congress President Concerned that Some European Countries Joined UNESCO Vote in Favour of Palestinian Full Membership

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor expressed disappointment and concern after the General Assembly of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, voted to grant the Palestinians full membership of the organization.

Along with the usual votes of support from the Arab, Muslim and developing world for Palestinian initiatives in United Nations institutions were France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.

Some European nations like Holland, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Lithuania voted against Palestinian membership, while many nations including the United Kingdom and Italy abstained.

“It is certainly worrying and of great concern that so many nations in Europe voted for a Palestinian membership,” Kantor said.

�This vote is first and foremost a disaster for UNESCO which will accept a member whose educational, cultural and religious institutions promote hate and incitement to violence against Israel and the Jewish People,� Kantor continued.

�UNESCO has ostensibly given a free reign for the worst forms of anti-Semitism under the guise of education and culture, two of the pillars which are supposed to unite the nations of the world towards peace.�

�Surely the mandate of UNESCO requires meeting guidelines or preconditions that would require the Palestinians to dismantle their culture of hate before being considered for acceptance.�

The European Jewish Congress also expressed concern that the Palestinians will use UNESCO to further erase any Jewish connection to holy sites in Israel and the West Bank.

�Only recently we were told by UNESCO that ancient sites like Rachel’s Tomb and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron are in fact mosques, so now the Palestinians are full members I am certain we can expect a fully-fledged agenda to Arabize or Palestinianize Jewish history, culture and the connection to the Land of Israel,� Kantor said.

�If we are not careful, UNESCO will join the UN Human Rights Council as an institution whose agenda has been hijacked in the political, legal and cultural war on Israel and the Jewish People,� the EJC leader added.

Source: European Jewish Press

Jewish Groups Welcome Schalit's Return despite 'The Price'

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Reactions from around the Jewish world poured in on Tuesday following the release of Gilad Schalit earlier in the day.

Jewish groups in the US welcomed his release while acknowledging the price paid by the Israeli government.

“For years, we have hoped and prayed for his freedom and return to his family and to the people of Israel,” said Jerry Silverman, president & CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. “From my own personal meetings with the Schalit family in the tent where they anxiously awaited this day, I am elated that they will be reunited with their son and mourn for the other Israeli families that have paid a painful price in this conflict.”

The World Jewish Congress came out in support of the government’s decision to free the 1,000 prisoners calling it �painful� but one that eventually �paid off.�

�Gilad is finally coming home, which is wonderful news for his family and the entire Jewish people,� said WJC President Ronald S. Lauder.

�Despite the enormously painful price that only Israel would consider paying, Jewish communities across the globe stand side by side with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet’s decision, and they salute Noam and Aviva Schalit for their courage. Their relentless struggle has finally paid off.�

The European branch of the WJC noted the involvement of European countries in the swap thanking the German mediator Gerhard Konrad for brokering the deal.

�Konrad was obviously instrumental in securing the deal for Schalit�s release and the German government deserves our gratitude for this important assistance, - said European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor. - Moreover, the strong messages of support from various European governments, specifically the French and the Italian, for the release of the Israeli soldier were important morally and kept the issue on the front burner in European capitals during these five long years.�

The New York Jewish community also rejoiced in the news of Schalit�s homecoming.

�Schalit�s safe return home demonstrates some of Israel�s most inspiring qualities: Its embrace of life, its sense of community and family, its tenacity and the great lengths to which Israel is prepared to go to fulfill its commitment to the men and women who make up its citizen army,� read a statement by Anti-Defamation League National Chairman Robert Sugarman and ADL National Director Abraham Foxman, which noted that Israel has come to see Schalit as �their own son and brother.�

American Jewish Committee executive director David Harris released a statement saying �Gilad Schalit�s arrival home is long-awaited news for his devoted family, for the Israeli people, and for countless others around the world who never gave up hope for his safe return from Gaza, where Hamas had held him incommunicado for more than five years.�

B�nai B�rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said that though they are thankful that Schalit has been returned safely to Israel and his family, they�re outraged at his treatment over the last five years.

�The terrorist group Hamas ignored all international entreaties for proof of Schalit�s well-being over the years. The group should not be praised for this much belated and cynical action.�

Source: Jerusalem Post

Jewish Groups Congratulate Israel on Gilad Shalit Return

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Jewish groups worldwide congratulated Israel and the Egyptian and German mediators Tuesday for safely bringing home Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit after 1,940 days in captivity.

While they said Shalit's return was reason for celebration, the groups emphasized the bitter-sweet nature of the Israeli-Hamas prisoner exchange agreement that will see the release of 1,027 prisoners in return for Shalit.

AJC Executive Director David Harris thanked the Egyptian and German mediators Tuesday, and commended Netanyahu and his Cabinet on making "one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching decisions ever faced by a political leader."

“Israel made a decision of extraordinary nobility, choosing to risk future dangers at the hands of an implacable enemy to save one human life today. Jewish tradition teaches that 'He who saves one life has saved the world," said Harris.

Harris acknowledged the risk involved with exchanging Shalit for more than 1,000 convicted prisoners, but commended the Israeli government for taking an action that "speaks to the highest values embodied by the Jewish State."

"Although the coming days will inevitably witness grotesque celebrations, as murderers return to joyous mobs in the West Bank and Gaza, we will also witness scenes of a relieved Israeli public that would not rest until their son, Gilad Shalit - and he was viewed as the collective son of Israeli society - was freed. The juxtaposition of these respective images will speak volumes," he said.

B'nai B'rith International also welcomed Shalit home on Tuesday, saying his release was long overdue and deserves to be celebrated, but expressed outrage over the conditions of the IDF soldier's captivity.

“The terrorist group Hamas ignored all international entreaties for proof of Shalit’s wellbeing over the years. The group should not be praised for this much belated and cynical action,” said B’nai B�rith International President Allan J. Jacobs.

B�nai B�rith had initiated a petition to the International Committee of the Red Cross, urging the committee to press for visits with Shalit. But Hamas, defying all international laws, refused to allow the ICRC, or any other group, to visit the soldier during his captivity.

Jacobs said that although Shalit's safe return is reason for celebration, it is important to point out that Hamas released him "only when it was politically advantageous to them.”

"The released terrorists are being met with celebrations in Gaza and the West Bank. The continued call for Israel's destruction by Hamas, and the failure of the Palestinian Authority to educate its population for peace, speaks volumes about the challenges Israel has, and is facing, as it seeks to live in peace," Jacobs said.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) thanked European leaders for their help in Shalit's release.

"The German mediator Gerhard Konrad was obviously instrumental in securing the deal for Shalit's release and the German government deserves our gratitude for this important assistance," EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor said.

"Moreover, the strong messages of support from various European governments, specifically the French and the Italian, for the release of the Israeli soldier were important morally and kept the issue on the front burner in European capitals during these five long years."

Kantor took the opportunity to call on European officials "to use all their influence to promote those who seek peace and reject all those oppose it."

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his "brave decision" to sign the deal with Hamas, and complimented Egyptian and German mediation that led to the deal eventually being sealed.

�Despite the enormously painful price that only Israel would consider paying, Jewish communities across the globe stand side by side with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet�s decision, and they salute Noam and Aviva Shalit [the soldier's parents] for their courage," said WJC President Ronald Lauder. "Their relentless struggle has finally paid off.�

�Prime Minister Netanyahu deserves much credit for taking a brave decision. Despite the heavy price that Israel will pay to Hamas, it was right to conclude the deal,� Lauder said, adding that �Hamas fights for the well-being of terrorists much more that it fights for the well-being of ordinary citizens.�

The WJC highlighted the "substantial" risk involved with returning hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, "including many directly involved in some of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel�s history," to Gaza and the West Bank, and called upon the world community to support Israel in inspecting potential arms shipments from Iran and elsewhere attempting to supply Hamas with advanced weaponry.

Jerry Silverman, President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America rejoiced over the release of Shalit, saying that the North American Jewish community had been hoping and praying for his freedom and return.

�From my own personal meetings with the Shalit family in the tent where they anxiously awaited this day, I am elated that they will be reunited with their son and mourn for the other Israeli families that have paid a painful price in this conflict,� he added.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs also commended the return of Shalit on Tuesday, saying that while the nature of his release is complicated, the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his freedom was a courageous decision by Israeli leaders.

In a joint statement, JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow and Chair Dr. Conrad Giles said: �Today�s exchange marks the end of a painful episode for Israel. We wish Gilad, his family, and all Israelis, peace and pray that this will be an opportunity for new beginnings.�

New Israel Fund CEO Daniel Sokatch called the release of Shalit a historic day for the people of Israel on Tuesday, saying that the NIF joins with all of Israel to celebrate his freedom.

Sokatch lauded the tens of thousands of Israelis, led by Shalit�s parents Noam and Aviva, who tirelessly worked to secure his release. �Their actions demonstrate that mutual responsibility remains a core value of Israeli society,� he said, adding �today, we all join together to welcome one of Israel�s sons home.�

The Anti-Defamation League celebrated Shalit�s return, while sharing in the sorrow of families that lost loved ones at the hands of prisoners that were freed in exchange for the captive soldier�s release.

�Our joy is tempered with the sober recognition that there are hundreds of Israeli families who lost loved ones at the hands of the Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli prisons as part of the agreement for Shalit�s release,� Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, National Director said in a statement.

�The images of Palestinians celebrating the release of terrorists from Israeli prisons – many with blood on their hands – are painful,� the statement added.

Sugarman and Foxman emphasized that Shalit�s safe return home is a demonstration of some of Israel�s most inspiring qualities: �its embrace of life, its sense of community and family; its tenacity; and the great lengths to which Israel is prepared to go to fulfill its commitment to the men and women who make up its citizen army�.

The leaders of the Union of Reform Judaism, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and ARZA received the news of Shalit�s return joyously as well.

�The vigil that the Shalit family, the Israeli people, and the Jewish community worldwide have kept for all these years, praying and hoping for Gilad's safe return, now comes to an end,� a joint statement said on Tuesday, saying that his homecoming is indicative of the high regard Israel has for each IDF soldier�s life.

�Gilad's release brings to a close this painful chapter in Israeli history. We call on Hamas and Islamic Jihad to renounce violence so that no family ever again knows the pain of the Shalits or the horror of terror,� the statement said.

Jewish Voice for Peace welcomed the return of Shalit, saying that the deal that secured his release proves that the group�s call for Israel to talk with Hamas valid. The group also commended the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of Shalit, lamenting the fact that approximately 20% of the Palestinian population has been imprisoned at some time.

The Jewish rights group then went on to slam Israel for holding Palestinian prisoners in inhumane living conditions, saying that it supports the 2,000 prisoners currently on hunger strike demanding humane treatment.

Source: Haaretz website

Israeli Minister to Swedish Jews: Anti-Zionism Is Anti-Semitism

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Anti-Zionism is a new form of anti-Semitism that can be found in foreign media, Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) told Swedish Jews Tuesday. The comments were made during a videoconference held following the controversial publication in a Swedish paper of an article claiming Israeli soldiers stole organs from Palestinians.

Edelstein took questions from six Swedish Jews about Israel's attitude toward anti-Semitism, criticism of its policies, Jewish communities in the Diaspora, immigration and emigration.

Last month's organ-theft article by the tabloid Aftonbladet - which drew fierce criticism from Israel and Jewish organizations, and which may have led to the cancellation of a planned visit to Israel by Sweden's foreign minister - did not dominate the discussion, but seemed to have at least shaped some of it.

"Criticism is legitimate as long as it does not border on demonization or denying our right to the land of Israel," Edelstein told Omri Grinberg, who asked the minister whether he "immediately crosses out as irrelevant to his purposes" those who oppose "Israel's ongoing occupation."

"There are many NGOs that use the right to freedom of speech and work under false pretenses of concern for Israel, when what they are actually doing is causing damage to Israel and exposing it to danger," Edelstein added.

John Gradowski asked the minister how Israel balances its efforts to draw more Jews to immigrate with its stated goal of strengthening Jewish communities in the Diaspora.

"Israel does not believe that it is possible or essential that all Jews live in Israel," Edelstein responded, also as part of an answer to yet another question on this topic. "There is definitely a need for flourishing communities in the Diaspora that can both feel a connection to the Jewish people."

Tuesday's videoconference is part of a project initiated by European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor, which aims to foster stronger ties between Diaspora communities and Israel. The project will allow representatives from one Jewish community every month to hold a video-recorded discussion with an Israeli official or opinion-shaper. The videos will be posted online at www.leadel.net.

Arie Zuckerman, Secretary General of the European Jewish Fund, who promoted the project alongside Kantor, told Haaretz that the meeting with the Swedish community had been scheduled before the eruption in the wake of the Aftonbladet article.

"While we remain conscious of the great contributions in many areas of large communities such as the British and the French ones, we are trying here to reach out to smaller, more distant communities such as in Sweden," he said. The next videoconference will be held in October with Hungarian Jews, and the one following with representatives from the Jewish community in Milan.

Haaretz.com

EJC President Kantor Thanks Europeans for Help in Securing Shalit Deal

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor expressed his gratitude to various European governments after it was revealed that a deal has been struck between the Israeli government and Hamas to release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Under the deal, 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, many who were convicted of multiple murders, will be released in the coming days.

"The German mediator Gerhard Konrad was obviously instrumental in securing the deal for Shalit's release and the German government deserves our gratitude for this important assistance," Kantor said.

Konrad heads the foreign section of the intelligence service of the German Federal Republic (BND).

"As our Jewish sages said 'He who saves the life of one person, it is as if he saved the world in its entirety'."

Gilad Shalit held dual Israeli and French citizenship, which allowed the European Union to remain involved in efforts to secure his release. I

In 2009, in a highly symbolic move the Mayor of Rome conferred on Shalit the status of honorary citizen.

Currently, the European Union is holding an exhibition of drawings based on a book that Shalit wrote when he was 11 years old.

At the opening of the exhibition, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, said that from his point of view, Shalit “is a citizen of the European Union" and added that his concern for Gilad was like the concern he had for one of his own children.

"All of these expressions of solidarity have been very important, not just for the Shalit family, but for all those who care about human rights and international law," Kantor said.

"I hope this is the last time that such a deal needs to be made and we call on all European officials to use all their influence to promote those who seek peace and reject all those oppose it."

Source: European Jewish Press

European Jewish Congress President Slams Swedish Academic Boycott Call of Israel

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor slammed a group of Swedish academics who have publicly declared a boycott of academic cooperation between Swedish and Israeli educational institutions.

"It is incongruous that in the week that an Israeli scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a group of Swedish academics are calling for a boycott of Israeli educational institutions," Kantor said.

Israeli Daniel Shechtman, a professor at the Technion institute, was named Wednesday Nobel Laureate for Chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals, a finding that went against established scientific consensus.

"This is clearly self-defeating for the world of research and education as Israel has once again demonstrated that its academics are making valuable contributions in many areas of culture, science and technology."

In recent years, a number of European academic groups that have called to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

"This merely demonstrates that those who are involved with calling for boycotts against Israel are uninterested in the free transmission of values, education and progress." Kantor said.

Source: European Jewish Press

Swedish Academics Call For Boycott of Israeli Institutions

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

More than 200 professors and students from Sweden have signed on to a call for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions.

The boycott petition was initiated by the Action Group for the Boycott of Israel at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

According to the petition, "Israeli academic institutions are deeply complicit in Israel's occupation of Palestine. They cooperate closely with the security-military establishment. They offer advice to military intelligence and assist in developing weapon technologies for the Occupation forces. So far, none of the Israeli academic institutions have dissociated themselves from the occupation regime, or condemned the entrenched system of discrimination of Palestinians."

The petition adds that the boycott is not aimed at individuals but against institutions. It calls on the Swedish academics to refuse to participate in collaborations with Israel universities; to refrain from attending academic activities at Israeli universities; to suspend all funding to Israeli universities; to promote divestment from Israel by academic institutions; and to foster initiatives that support Palestinian educational institutions.

The Royal Institute of Technology has an ongoing relationship with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, home to Israel's latest Nobel Prize winner.

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor slammed the boycott call.

“It is incongruous that in the week that an Israeli scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a group of Swedish academics are calling for a boycott of Israeli educational institutions,” Kantor said.

“This merely demonstrates that those who are involved with calling for boycotts against Israel are uninterested in the free transmission of values, education and progress.”

Source: JTA

Munich Auction of Hitler's Personal Items May Be Called Off After Jews in Europe Raise Uproar

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A German auction house hinted Wednesday that it was re-thinking its plans to sell off a cache of Adolph Hitler's personal items, after Jewish groups expressed horror at the idea and accused the organizers of making money off their country's Nazi past.

The auction by Hermann Historica in Munich next month would feature the Fuhrer's reading glasses, complete with their original black leather and blue velvet case (with a reserve price of 4,800 euros ); his silver A.H. monogrammed cigarette case, which the non-smoker used to offer cigarettes to visiting dignitaries (bids to begin at 10,000 euros ); and five of his monogrammed forks and knives (for 1,800 euros ).

Also up for auction are a Hitler Youth badge, encrusted with diamonds and rubies, given to Hitler in 1942 and marked up for 22,000 euros; Hitler's sugar tongs from the study at his mountain retreat, valued at 1,100 euros; and a copy of his book "Mein Kampf," which he signed and dedicated to his former deputy Rudolf Hess, with a starting bid of 5,000 euros.

While public display of the swastika is illegal in Germany, and the symbols were thus carefully airbrushed out of the auction catalogue, there is no ban on the sale of Nazi memorabilia. Bild newspaper reported that the auction house had asked its bidders to sign a declaration confirming that any of the Nazi artifacts purchased would be used for educational purposes.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, fiercely criticized the auction. "Those who attempt to monetize these macabre heirlooms are a shame and a stain on modern-day Germany," Kantor said.

"As we at the European Jewish Congress try and preserve the memory and historic lessons of this dark period, these types of events are completely counterproductive and damaging towards educating younger Germans and Europeans about the Holocaust," he stressed.

The auction house responded that while "public media coverage does not seem appropriate ... we feel that the general public may quite rightly feel offended by the subject matter and for obvious reasons."

The auction house did not indicate whether the bidding would go ahead as planned, or who stood to profit from the auction. Media reports have indicated that Hess' estate would profit.

Source: Haaretz.com

Up for Auction: Hitler�s Reading Glasses, Cigarette Case

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The controversy about the sale of Nazi memorabilia continues. Just months after Josef Mengele’s diaries were purchased by an anonymous American Orthodox Jew who says he may loan them to Yad Vashem, and days after Hitler’s Gemlich letter went on display at the Museum of Tolerance, it has been announced that an auction of some of Hitler�s personal effects is set to take place this month in Germany.

Some are questioning the decency of private individuals benefiting financially from the sale of such items. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, reportedly called the auction “ a stain on modern-day Germany.” He was also quoted as saying, “As we at the European Jewish Congress try and preserve the memory and historic lessons of this dark period, these types of events are completely counterproductive and damaging toward educating younger Germans and Europeans about the Holocaust.”

Hermann Historica, the auction house handling the sale, claims that it has not been publicizing the event, and that it will require all bidders to sign a waiver stating that they will use the items only for educational purposes.

Among the memorabilia that will be on the auction block are Hitler�s reading glasses (which he never wore in public), his silver cigarette case (for which he, as a non-smoker, had little use), and other household items like lamps and watches. On sale will also be a gold and emerald badge with a swastika on it.

Source: blogs.forward.com

Auction of Hitler Items Angers Jewish Group

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Organizers of an auction of Adolf Hitler's reading glasses and other personal effects were on the verge of abandoning the sale early Wednesday after an outcry over profiting from Germany's Nazi past.

The Fuhrer's glasses were due to be put up for auction with a reserve price of €4,800 (US$6,355) at a Munich auction house this month, while bidding for a silver cigarette case monogrammed with the initials of the non-smoking dictator was set to begin at €10,000.

Stung by accusations that the sale was a "stain" on modern Germany, auction house Hermann Historica issued a statement late Tuesday saying, "In the view of Hermann Historica, public media coverage does not seem appropriate; we feel that the general public may quite rightly feel offended by the subject matter and for obvious reasons."

But it refused to confirm who would receive the money, although some items, such as a fob watch starting at �10,000, were believed to originate from the estate of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former deputy.

There were also items of cutlery with A.H. monograms for �1,800, and a Hitler Youth badge encrusted with diamonds and rubies, given to the Fuhrer in 1942, marked up for �22,000. While public display of the swastika is illegal in Germany, and the symbols have been carefully airbrushed out of the auction catalogue, there is no ban on the sale of Nazi memorabilia.

The sale has alarmed Jewish groups, The (London) Times reported.

"Those who attempt to monetize these macabre heirlooms are a shame and a stain on modern-day Germany," Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, said.

The sale is incongruously entitled German Historical Collectibles from 1919 and features hundreds of lots. One is a standard lamp from the headquarters of the Munich Nazi Party, on sale for a minimum of �5,000.

Bild newspaper reported Tuesday that the auction house had asked its bidders to sign a testimony declaring that any of the Nazi artifacts purchased would be used for educational purposes.

Source: FOX News

NGOs Urge German Shoah Foundation to Stop 'Israel-Bashing'

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The rising controversy surrounding a German Holocaust foundation's use of public funds to finance anti-Semitic school literature attacking Israel prompted the head of Europe's Jewish Congress and human rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Monday to urge the organization to return to its core mission of Shoah education.

The German Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility, Future” (EVZ) is financed by public and private funds and doled out 21,590 Euros in 2010-2011 to support an exchange program between the German high school (Gerhart-Hauptmann) and an exclusive Israeli-Arab high school in Nazareth. Students and educators from the two schools composed a broschure equating Israel with the now-defunct East German Stalinist state ,and crude drawings of orthodox Jewish students. The students showed Israel as a violent state with an education system that excludes and oppresses Israeli-Arab pupils.

Critics in Israel and Germany say the brochure seeks to delegitimize Israel's existence and stokes modern anti-Semitism.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) President, Dr. Moshe Kantor, told the Jerusalem Post, "It is important that the fund focuses on spreading and preserving the memory of the Holocaust and the legacy of those who were murdered, which is particularly necessary today as we witness higher levels of ignorance and intolerance, mainly among the Arab and Muslim public, who use negative imagery in their political campaign against Israel.”

Kantor continued that “today, more then ever, after another hate-filled speech by Holocaust-denier Iranian President Ahmadinejad at the United Nations, the fund needs to encourage tolerance and peace among the younger generations instead of supporting projects that have nothing to do with the holocaust, which, as it seems, result in encouraging hate and intolerance.�

Speaking from Los Angeles, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the international human rights NGO the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told the Post via telephone interview, "Germans, especially those who say they are committed to the memory of the six million have a unique responsibility and opportunity to educate young Arabs who are barraged with hate propaganda that denies the Shoah all together or accuses Israelis of being today's Nazis. As descendants of the perpertrators of the Shoah, today's Germans have the clear opportunity to set the record state and thwart the Holocaust deniers and Jew-haters among younger generations.�

Cooper added, �That mandate of Remembrance and responsibility was perverted by the joint program between a school in Germany and the school in Nazareth that validated anti-Jewish stereotypes and anti-Israel sentiment. We urge the Fund to return to its core mandate of teaching young generations about the systematic murder of 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children by the Nazi regime. Every successful undertaking will undercut bigotry and anti-Semitism, not spread it."

In a statement to the Post on Monday, Dr. Martin Salm, the head of the EVZ, wrote that �the foundation EVZ will in no way allow criticism on societal conditions to serve the delegitimization of the State of Israel.� He said the EVZ will use the �misunderstandings� associated with the school project to examine its �subsidy practice.�

Salm has issued contradictory statements since the scandal surfaced. He first defended the school exchange program, rejecting allegations of anti-Semitism and blaming critical media reports for misrepresenting the partnership between the foundation and the schools, as well as the controversial anti-Israel NGO (HEAR),which supported the exchange program. HEAR is an abbreviation for �Humans, Education and Awareness to their Rights.�

After The Jerusalem Post contacted Salm last week, he withdrew his defense of the anti-Israel school program and said the EVZ would sever contact with the school and anti-Semitic educational activities. Asked by the Post repeatedly to explain his conflicting statements, Salm declined to issue a specific comment. It is unclear at this stage whether Salm plans to step down.

The German Foreign Ministry has two members on the EVZ Foundation's Board of Trustees, In an e-mail to the Post on Tuesday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote that the ministry �welcomes the explanation of the chairman of the Foundation EVZ from September 26 in which he regrets the contributions; that is,the drawings of the brochures, which could be read as anti-Semitic and therefore announced a review of the subsidy practice in connection with this program.�

Karin Maag, a deputy in the German Bundestag who has a seat on the EVZ's Board of Trustees,wrote the Post on Tuesday that she �regrets that the impression has been formed that an anti-Semitic or anti-Israel attitude� exists and intends to take� concrete steps� at the next EVZ board meeting to address the incident. Maag, from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party, said she has contacted the responsible parties and requested clarification.

According to the EVZ statement on Monday, Constanza Röthing, a teacher at the Gerhart-Hauptmann school, who spoke in the name of the students, expressed �outrage� that such allegations are being lodged against participants. She added that �We have had only positive impressions and experiences from the state of Israel and therefore strictly reject any anti-Semitic intention.�

A spokesman for the German government told the Post on Wednesday that representatives from the Finance Ministry who sit on the Board of Trustees �do not have the possibility� to �control the implementation of projects from partner organizations.�

Dr. Dieter Graumann, the head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, told the Post on Monday that the Council is reviewing the EVZ literature.

Source: The Jerusalem Post

European Jewish Congress Calls for European Leaders to Reject Unilateral Palestinian Declaration, In Advert in the IHT

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has published an advert in the International Herald Tribune calling on European leaders to reject an upcoming Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence at the United Nations.

The advert states that "only a negotiated settlement can bring lasting peace to the Middle East" and “"nilateral action threatens regional stability and the hope of a peaceful future."

The EJC recounts the correspondence between EJC President Moshe Kantor and various European leaders who vagree that negotiations are the only viable way to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East and that unilateral steps would harm the peace process.

"It is important that the Oslo Accords and other agreements serve as a reminder as the European Union member states decide how to vote in the United Nations on the unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians," Kantor said of the advert.

The Oslo Accords, witnessed and signed by the European Union, among others, stated in Article 31 that: "Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiation."

"This week, the eyes of the world will look to Europe. The EJC urges the European community to leverage its unique standing in the UN and its historic role in the Middle East to keep the peace process alive and to sustain hope among those who yearn for a peaceful future."

Source: European Jewish Press

Jewish Leader Urges 'No' on Palestinian State

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A European Jewish leader said Tuesday that the continent must oppose any U.N. Security Council resolution that would recognize a Palestinian state and admit it as a member _ not only for Israel's sake but also for Europe's own safety.

"There are a lot of radical elements in Europe, in every country, which can be like dynamite, and this recognition could be like a trigger for this dynamite," Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress told the Associated Press in Brussels.

He said he was referring primarily to Islamist radicals but also to others, including right-wing radicals.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is pressing ahead with his diplomatic campaign to gain full U.N. membership in the U.N. The United States has said it will veto any such resolution in the Security Council.

Four EU countries are currently members of the Security Council _ Britain and France, both of which are permanent members with veto power, and Germany and Portugal, which are temporary members.

Kantor said admitting a Palestinian state would violate U.N. law, which requires that any member have clearly defined borders and be at harmony with its neighbors.

He said his organization had exchanged letters with leaders in more than 15 European countries, including Britain, France and Germany. "And all the letters we received (were) absolutely united by one idea: No recognition without negotiations with Israel."

However, most European countries are not saying how they would vote if such a resolution came up, and instead appear focused on trying to dissuade the Palestinians from requesting one.

Britain's foreign secretary, for example, has made clear that he'd rather not have to chose which way to vote.

"We don't recommend UNSC vote but (different) options being proposed, UK reserves its position. Pressing both sides to get into talks," William Hague said in a message posted to Twitter on Tuesday, shortly before he was scheduled to meet Abbas.

And French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Europe-1 radio Tuesday that "the only way to settle the Israeli-Palestinian problem is direct negotiations."

Majid Bamyeh, a diplomat with the General Delegation of Palestine to the EU, agreed with Kantor on one aspect of the situation _ that the EU's role as one of the primary financial supporters of the Palestinians makes the continent's voice extremely important. But Bamyeh said that meant Europe's responsibility lay in being consistent and saying yes to a Palestinian state.

"They have been the most supportive of our institutional state-building," he said. "Building state institutions should eventually lead to a state."

He said he hoped the EU would "support us in the U.N. to see this state emerge in judicial terms now, and tomorrow on the ground."

Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said Tuesday that officials were still working to develop a unified EU position, should any vote come up, to make the union a more influential voice. But she said the EU's primary efforts were to find a way to get negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians started again.

Source: Associated Press

Kantor Urges European 'No' to Palestinian Statehood Plan

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A European Jewish leader said Tuesday that the continent must oppose any UN Security Council resolution that would recognize a Palestinian state and admit it as a member - not only for Israel's sake but also for Europe's own safety. "There are a lot of radical elements in Europe, in every country, which can be like dynamite, and this recognition could be like a trigger for this dynamite," Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, told the 'Associated Press' in Brussels. He said he was referring primarily to Islamist radicals but also to others, including right-wing radicals. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is pressing ahead with his diplomatic campaign to gain full UN membership in the UN.

The United States has said it will veto any such resolution in the Security Council. Four EU countries are currently members of the Security Council - Britain and France, both of which are permanent members with veto power, and Germany and Portugal, which are temporary members. Kantor said admitting a Palestinian state would violate UN law, which requires that any member have clearly defined borders and be at harmony with its neighbors. He said his organization had exchanged letters with leaders in more than 15 European countries, including Britain, France and Germany. "And all the letters we received (were) absolutely united by one idea: No recognition without negotiations with Israel."

EU countries still undecided on voting behaviour

However, most European countries are not saying how they would vote if such a resolution came up, and instead appear focused on trying to dissuade the Palestinians from requesting one. Britain's foreign secretary, for example, has made clear that he'd rather not have to chose which way to vote.

"We don't recommend UNSC vote but (different) options being proposed, UK reserves its position. Pressing both sides to get into talks," William Hague said in a message posted to 'Twitter' on Tuesday, shortly before he was scheduled to meet Abbas. And French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Europe-1 radio Tuesday that "the only way to settle the Israeli-Palestinian problem is direct negotiations." Majid Bamyeh, a diplomat with the General Delegation of Palestine to the EU, agreed with Kantor on one aspect of the situation - that the EU's role as one of the primary financial supporters of the Palestinians makes the continent's voice extremely important. But Bamyeh said that meant Europe's responsibility lay in being consistent and saying yes to a Palestinian state.

They have been the most supportive of our institutional state-building," he said. "Building state institutions should eventually lead to a state." He said he hoped the EU would "support us in the UN to see this state emerge in judicial terms now, and tomorrow on the ground."

Source: World Jewish Congress

European Jews Place Newspaper Ad Against UN Ploy

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has published advertisement in the International Herald Tribune calling on European leaders to reject a Palestinian Authority unilateral declaration of independence at the United Nations.

Germany is the only European member of the United Nations Security Council that has said it will vote against the Palestinian Authority motion, if filed. A two-third majority in favor of the Palestinian Authority would force the United States to cast its promised veto to stop the process that would end years of talks with Israel.

”Only a negotiated settlement can bring lasting peace to the Middle East” and “unilateral action threatens regional stability and the hope of a peaceful future,� the advertisement states.

EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor and various European leaders from Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Ireland and Britain, among others, have agreed that unilateral steps would harm the peace process.

“It is important that the Oslo Accords and other agreements serve as a reminder as the European Union member states decide how to vote in the United Nations on the unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians,� Kantor said of the advertisement. �The EU was a witness to these agreements and their signature should be honored for the sake of peace and security in the Middle East.�

The Oslo Accords, witnessed and signed by the European Union, Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat, stated in Article, �Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiation.�

The advertisement continues: �This is not the time to act outside of the boundaries of international agreements, or to unleash expectations that may lead to disastrous consequences for Palestinians and Israelis, and for the region as a whole.

�This week, the eyes of the world will look to Europe. The EJC urges the European community to leverage its unique standing in the UN and its historic role in the Middle East to keep the peace process alive and to sustain hope among those who yearn for a peaceful future.�

Kantor said, �This is not about statehood for the Palestinians, because the entire international community, including the State of Israel, supports and endorses the ‘two states for two peoples’ solution. This is about respecting signed agreements and seeking a negotiated solution as the only way to end the conflict.�

Source: Arutz Sheva

European Jewry Calls On Obama To Free Jonathan Pollard

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

In a new twist to the ongoing effort to secure Jonathan Pollard’s freedom, a prominent European Jewish leader has written to President Obama and asked that he commute Pollard’s sentence to time served (the full text of the letter appears below and a copy is attached).

Although the calls for clemency for Jonathan Pollard have grown louder and stronger in recent months, the letter by Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, the President of the European Jewish Congress, is especially noteworthy, in that it sends a clear message to President Obama that European Jewry joins with Jews in the United States and Israel in their quest to see Pollard released from prison. Kantor�s letter has been has been remitted to the American mission to the European Union for President Obama�s attention.

Jonathan Pollard has spent more than 26 years languishing in a federal prison for passing classified information to Israel, an ally of the United States.

Moshe Kantor, an international philanthropist, entrepreneur and investor who is well-known for his extensive involvement in community life, has greatly contributed to revitalizing Jewish life in Europe and beyond. Since 2007, Kantor has served as President of the European Jewish Congress, which is a leading Jewish secular umbrella organization that coordinates 40 national Jewish communities in Europe, encompassing approximately 2.5 million Jews. The European Jewish Congress� goal is to address the world�s most pressing issues; namely, protecting human rights, fighting xenophobia and anti-Semitism, promoting interfaith dialogue, implementing cultural and educational programs, and remembering the Holocaust and other tragedies that claimed millions of human lives throughout the world.

“Jonathan Pollard�s continued imprisonment is an injustice,” wrote Moshe Kantor in his letter to the President. “Only you, Mr. President, can put an end to this injustice by commuting Pollard�s sentence to time served.”

�As we approach the Jewish New Year, a time considered an opportune moment for confession, forgiveness and new beginnings, I humbly ask you, Mr. President, to show mercy for a fellow human being and to serve the cause of justice,� continued Kantor.

Kantor�s letter comes in the wake of a surprising win by Republican Bob Turner in a special election in New York�s Ninth Congressional District. Turner, who came out publically for Pollard�s release during the course of the campaign, scored an upset victory over the Democratic candidate in a heavily Democratic district that has a large Jewish population. The win by Turner was widely viewed as a referendum of sorts on President Obama and a clarion call that the President needs to be more attuned to the interests of the Jewish community. The idea that the Jewish community overwhelmingly supports clemency for Jonathan Pollard is something that the President should be cognizant of as he gears up for his re-election campaign.

Kantor made a number of salient points in his letter, including the fact that Pollard did not disclose information to any country other than Israel, a friend and ally of the U.S.; his intention was not to harm the United States; and Israel did not make any use of the disclosed information to harm the security or the interests of the Unites States. He also noted that Pollard is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally.

In his correspondence to the President, Kantor also noted that the information disclosed by Pollard revealed to Israel information critical to its safety and security, including the details of Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and Iranian nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare capabilities, of ballistic missile development, and on planned terrorist attacks against Israeli civilian targets. Kantor pointed out that �former National Security Advisor Bobby Ray Inman has publicly admitted, after resigning in 1994, that this critical information had been deliberately withheld from Israel in retaliation for Israel�s 1981 strike on Iraq�s nuclear reactor.�

In addition, Kantor stated that although Pollard�s conviction was justified, �his sentence was disproportionate and out-of-line with sentences imposed for similar offences.�

Kantor also reminded the President that the United States government broke its promise that it would not seek life imprisonment and then breached the plea bargain when �it submitted a perjured affidavit by then Secretary of Defense Weinberger demanding life imprisonment and overstating the damage that Pollard had caused.�

�There is no other case in American jurisprudence in which a plea bargain has been so blatantly violated,� wrote Kantor. �If Pollard had served the sentence agreed upon in the plea bargain, he would no longer be in jail by now.�

In addition to serving as President of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor has served as President of the Russian Jewish Congress, a leading Russian secular organization that represents the interests of the whole spectrum of modern Russian Jewry. He is also the Co-Chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, a non-governmental organization that was established to monitor European countries� adherence to the principles of tolerance, develop practical initiatives and make recommendations for promoting mutual understanding between cultures.

Moshe Kantor is the Founder and President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, whose goal is to support Holocaust remembrance activities for the sake of preserving the historical memory of nations all over the world and preventing future tragedies. In addition, Kantor is the key founder and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund, which focuses on promoting Jewish life throughout Europe by supporting programs to reinforce Jewish identity and Jewish pride, especially by reconnecting people with their rich and vital Jewish heritage. The Fund also focuses on addressing pressing concerns threatening Jewish life in Europe, such as assimilation, anti-Semitism and racism.

Kantor is also the President of the International Luxembourg Conference on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe, which is the largest non-government expert institution of its kind uniting leading, world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear arms, materials and delivery vehicles.

A graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute, Moshe Kantor has a PhD in Spacecraft Automatic Control Systems. After graduation, Mr. Kantor headed a leading Soviet laboratory engaged in developing spacecraft. A reflector satellite was designed using his research and subsequently launched into Earth orbit to illuminate the planet�s surface with reflected sunlight.

In 1993, Kantor took the helm at Acron agrochemical company. Under Kantor�s supervision, Acron has become one of the world�s leading fertilizer producers and distributors. From 1996-2000, Kantor served as an Economic Adviser to the Chairman of the Federation Council (the Upper House of the Russian Parliament) of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Moshe Kantor�s letter to President Obama comes in the wake of numerous calls for clemency for Pollard from prominent government officials, high-ranking individuals in the national intelligence arena, leading professionals in the legal world, and renowned religious and communal leaders.

Former CIA Director James Woolsey, former White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum, former Deputy Attorney General and Harvard Law Professor Philip Heymann, and former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dennis DeConcini, each of whom had the opportunity to thoroughly review Pollard�s classified file and is fully familiar with the circumstances of his case, have called for Pollard�s release.

Henry Kissinger, who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and who was a member of the President�s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board at the time of Pollard�s sentencing, sent a letter to President Obama requesting that he commute Pollard�s sentence to time served.

Lee Hamilton, a former U.S. Congressman from Indiana who served as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee at the time of Jonathan Pollard�s sentencing, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and is currently member of the President�s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, also called on President Obama to free Pollard.

In addition, a wide array of American leaders have called for a commutation of Pollard�s sentence, including former Vice President Dan Quayle, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Senator John McCain of Arizona, former Arkansas governor and former Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Arlen Specter, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb, Congressman Allen West of Florida, former Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming, former New York City Mayor and former Republican Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, Congressman Michael Grimm of New York, former Republican Senator Steve Symms of Idaho, former Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida, former Republican Congressman Matthew Salmon of Arizona, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, well-known conservative leader Gary Bauer, Rev. Theodore Hesburgh of Notre Dame, well-known Christian leader Pat Robertson, Pastor John Hagee, and Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree, who was President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama�s law professor at Harvard and remains friends with them today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also sent a letter to President Obama calling for Pollard�s release.

In addition, several months ago thirty-nine members of Congress submitted a �Dear Colleague� letter led by Congressman Barney Frank in support of commuting Jonathan Pollard�s sentence. Further, a broad-based interfaith coalition comprised of more than 500 members of the clergy and community leaders sent a letter to President Obama in January 2011 in which they called on the President to commute Pollard�s sentence.

Jonathan Pollard recently wrote a letter containing a personal appeal for clemency to President Obama, which was hand-delivered to the President by Israeli President Shimon Peres. Peres also raised the issue of clemency for Pollard in a recent White House meeting with President Obama.

Despite numerous pleas by Israeli leaders and people throughout the United States and Israel, President Obama recently refused to grant Pollard �compassionate leave,� which would have enabled him to visit his ailing father, Morris, on his deathbed, and rejected countless appeals asking the President to allow Pollard to attend his father�s funeral following Morris Pollard�s death.

Jonathan Pollard has repeatedly expressed his remorse publicly and in private in letters to many Presidents and others. His health has deteriorated significantly during his two-and-a-half decades in prison.

Pollard�s life sentence is grossly disproportionate when compared to the sentences of others who have spied for allied nations. Despite the fact that Pollard entered into a plea agreement and fully cooperated with the prosecution in his case, he nonetheless received a life sentence and a recommendation that he never be paroled, which was in complete violation of the plea agreement he had reached with the government.

The following is the text of Moshe Kantor�s letter to President Obama:

To the President of the United States of America

Mr. President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Geneva, 13 September 2011

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to you as President of the European Jewish Congress, the democratically-elected body representing European Jewry. I would like to express my utmost concern over the fate of Jonathan Pollard.

Jonathan Pollard has been sentenced for life because of the classified information he disclosed to Israel, a friend and ally of the United States. Pollard did not disclose information to any other country, nor was he charged for doing so. His intention was not to harm the United States, and indeed Israel did not make any use of the disclosed information to harm the security or the interests of the Unites States. Pollard is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally.

The information disclosed by Pollard revealed to Israel the details of Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and Iranian nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare capabilities, of ballistic missile development, and on planned terrorist attacks against Israeli civilian targets. Former National Security Advisor Bobby Ray has publicly admitted, after resigning in 1994, that this critical information had been deliberately withheld from Israel in retaliation for Israel�s 1981 strike on Iraq�s nuclear reactor.

While Pollard�s conviction was justified, his sentence was disproportionate and out-of-line with sentences imposed for similar offences. Such is the opinion of prominent American officials and legal experts, such as former CIA Director James Woolsey, of former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Denis DeConcini (both of whom are familiar with the information disclosed by Pollard), of former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and of Harvard Law Professors Alan Dershowitz and Philip Heymann.

Indeed, no life sentence has ever been imposed in the United States for offenses similar to Pollard�s. The average punishment for Pollard�s offence is a two to four year prison term. Such sentences have been imposed on Americans who spied for Egypt, for instance. The life sentence imposed on Pollard ignored the plea bargain reached between the defense and the prosecution. Pollard was not accused of treason, or of intending to harm the United States. He pleaded guilty under a plea bargain, and was thus convicted and sentenced (without a full trial) to life imprisonment, despite the US Government�s promise not to seek such a penalty.

Pollard waived his right to trial by jury in exchange for a promise by the government that it would not seek life imprisonment. The US Government broke that promise. It submitted a perjured affidavit by then Secretary of Defense Weinberger demanding life imprisonment and overstating the damage that Pollard had caused. This was a breach of the plea bargain. There is no other case in American jurisprudence in which a plea bargain has been so blatantly violated. If Pollard had served the sentence agreed upon in the plea bargain, he would no longer be in jail by now.

Jonathan Pollard has served more than 25 years of his life sentence (seven of which have been served in solitary confinement). He has consistently expressed remorse over his actions, and his health is declining. In light of the disproportionate sentence imposed on Pollard, of the fact that he has already served over 25 years in jail, and in light of the fact that both Pollard and the Israeli Government have expressed regret over his deeds, many respected leaders and public figures have asked you, Mr. President, to commute Pollard�s sentence.

Among the long list of people who have implored you to commute Pollard�s sentence are Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, John Mc Cain, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, as well as hundreds of leaders from the United States and from around the world. I have the honor of adding my name to this respectable list and to ask you, Mr. President, to use your constitutional powers in a way that would serve justice and show compassion.

Jonathan Pollard�s continued imprisonment is an injustice. Only you, Mr. President, can put an end to this injustice by commuting Pollard�s sentence to time served. A commutation is not a pardon, in that it does not erase the conviction. Commutation only reduces the sentence without suggesting that the defendant is not guilty.

As we approach the Jewish New Year, a time considered an opportune moment for confession, forgiveness and new beginnings, I humbly ask you, Mr. President, to show mercy for a fellow human being and to serve the cause of justice.

With my highest esteem,

Moshe Kantor

President, European Jewish Congress

Source: Imra.org.il

Critics Divided Over 'Lenient' Galliano Verdict

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The relatively lenient sentence handed to disgraced designer John Galliano on Thursday has received mixed reactions.

The former Dior chief designer was convicted of antisemitic and racist behaviour and given a 6,000 euro suspended fine, which he will have to pay only if he reoffebds within five years.

However he was not jailed and in reality will only have to pay damages of a euro to each plaintiff, as well as the court fees of the anti-racism groups who took him to court.

To some, the guilty verdict was a recognition of his unacceptable conduct, which including a rant about his love for Hitler and an incident where he attacked a woman as a "dirty Jew".

But other commentators expressed concern that he could return to the fashion fold, less than a year after he was dismissed from the French fashion house following a strong condemnation by its celebrity face Natalie Portman.

The president of the European Jewish Congress said the mere "slap on the wrist" sent the wrong message to those who used hate speech.

"It is outrageous," said Moshe Kantor. "This sentence demonstrates that there appears to be a culture of impunity in the entertainment world."

"It is time that the entertainment world became more serious about hate speech, and those who spout intolerance and bigotry should immediately be rejected by the industry and treated like the pariah their comments deserve."

In contrast, Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre said the punishment was fitting. "It is up to him to make amends to the community he demeaned and to the public at large," they said.

But they also said that his earlier apology was not sufficient.

"Especially now when antisemitism has become fashionable, it is important to emphasise that a cleverly worded press release is not sufficient. If John Galliano is truly sorry for what he did, only his future deeds will tell us how sincere he is."

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, welcomed the verdict. She said it sent "a clear signal that such behaviour is completely unacceptable".

Jewish fashion writer Lisa Armstrong, writing in the Telegraph, said his career could be revived, but only if he kept "schtum".

"Notoriety can turn a quick buck in most industries these days, and expensive labels are no exception," she wrote. "Even so, evidence of humble pie will be required."

Meanwhile, it appears those in charge of Dior are determined to move on from the scandal of the last year. They are rumoured to have appointed Jewish designer Marc Jacobs, currently creative director of Louis Vuitton, to take on the vacant chief designer role.

Source: thejc.com

Designer Convicted in Anti-Semitism Case

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

John Galliano's drunken anti-Semitic ravings cost him his job at Paris luxury house Christian Dior and gave him a criminal record but he won't go to jail, a Paris court ruled yesterday.

The court found Galliano guilty on two counts of "public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" - charges that carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison and fines of up to €20,000 (NZ$33,421).

But the three-magistrate panel showed leniency, sentencing the legendary designer to a €6000 suspended fine, which means it goes on Galliano's criminal record but he does not have to pay it. The court did not give Galliano prison time.

Presiding judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud said the magistrates' clemency was in part due to the fact that the designer had apologised to the court and the plaintiffs - who contended the designer showered them with a litany of racist and anti-Semitic insults in two separate run-ins at a Paris watering hole.

In testimony before the court in proceedings in June, Galliano said he didn't recall anything about the spats and explained he had been under the influence of a "triple addiction" to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills.

Regardless, he added he was sorry for "the sadness that this whole affair has caused".

Lawyers for both sides welcomed the ruling.

"It is a wise ruling," Galliano lawyer Aurelien Hamelle told journalists outside the courtroom.

"Mr Galliano is clearly relieved ... and asked me to apologise for him once again."

Galliano "is looking forward to a future of forgiveness and understanding, hopefully, and to put all of this behind him".

Yves Beddouk, an attorney representing one of the plaintiffs, said his client, Geraldine Bloch, was "perfectly satisfied".

Although Galliano will not have to fork out any money in fines, he was ordered to pay �16,500 in court fees to Bloch and two other plaintiffs, as well as five anti-racism associations. The court also ordered him to pay a symbolic �1 ($1.40) in damages to each.

Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, denounced the ruling.

"It is outrageous that someone who told others that they 'ought to be dead' and expressed support for the Holocaust gets away with less than a slap on the wrist," Kantor said.

"This sentence demonstrates that there appears to be a culture of impunity in the entertainment world."

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation, said "the symbolic one euro fine by a French court was the right legal punishment for John Galliano's public anti-Semitic outbursts".

"Now it is up to him to make amends to the community he demeaned and to the public at large," according to a statement from the centre.

"That cannot be achieved through carefully crafted press releases but only through his future deeds and words."

Although Galliano's remarks would not be punishable in the US, France has strict laws aimed at curbing anti-Semitic and racist language. The laws were enacted in the decades following the Holocaust.

Galliano did not attend yesterday's ruling, and judge Sauteraud explained his absence as an attempt to keep him out of the media spotlight.

The saga of Galliano's undoing has riveted the fashion industry since allegations surfaced that he accosted a couple at Paris' hip La Perle cafe on February 24.

The story made headlines worldwide, and soon another woman came forward with similar claims about a separate incident in the same cafe.

Days later, Britain's The Sun tabloid posted a video showing an inebriated Galliano insulting a fellow cafe client, slurring "I love Hitler," among other incendiary remarks.

As the video went viral, the house of Dior took swift action against the man it had long treated as icon, sacking Galliano days before the label's fall-winter 2011 runway show in March.

Galliano was also later ousted from his eponymous label, also owned by Dior's parent company.

At his day-long trial in June, Galliano was a shadow of his former self. The man whose proud rooster-like post-fashion show strut had long been a thing of legend appeared stooped and addressed the court in a faltering, barely audible voice.

In his testimony, Galliano was contrite and humble, telling the three-judge panel that he was sorry "for the sadness that this whole affair has caused".

He said he'd kicked his addictions during a stint in a rehab clinic in Arizona and was "feeling much better".

He said he'd resorted to the potent cocktail of drugs and alcohol to escape the ever-increasing pressures of the high-stakes fashion industry.

Galliano - a 50-year-old who was born Juan Carlos Galliano to a Spanish mother in the British Iberian enclave of Gibraltar - rejected any suggestion he was fundamentally racist, saying his multicultural-infused work spoke for itself.

His extravagant, theatrical collections culled their inspiration from cultures as far-flung as Kenya's Massai people and the geishas of Japan.

In the wake of the scandal, Galliano was replaced at his signature label by his long-time right-hand man and fellow Briton, Bill Gaytten, in June.

Gaytten was behind the Dior haute couture collection presented in July to nearly universally disastrous reviews - though officials at the storied house have stressed he has not been appointed Dior creative director.

Rumours about Galliano's possible successor at Dior have swirled for months, with Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci and Colombian-born star Haider Ackermann emerging as possible contenders.

A report last month in Women's Wear Daily cited unnamed sources as saying that New York designer Marc Jacobs was in talks for the plum gig. Neither Jacobs nor Dior or parent company LVMH would comment on the report.

The fashion industry is waiting to see whether Galliano will manage to rehabilitate his image and make a comeback, much as supermodel Kate Moss did after images of her taking cocaine hit newspapers the world over.

Asked by journalists about Galliano's plans, attorney Hamelle said only that his client is "looking forward to the future" and "will continue to care for himself".

Source: The Associated Press

EJC Slams 'Ridiculous' Galliano Sentence

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor reacted with disappointment and outrage to film director Lars Von Trier’s recent attempt at the Berlin Film Festival to justify his outrageous comments made earlier in the year at the Cannes Film Festival.

Earlier in the year Von Trier made comments about Hitler, the Nazis and the Jews which were described as “hate speech” by Kantor and led to the director being banned for life from the film festival.

“I said at the time that there must be consequences for this type of hate speech, but unfortunately they were not harsh enough to prevent Von Trier from revisiting this sick and twisted line of thought about the Nazis,” Kantor said.

�Unfortunately, the ridiculously light sentence handed to John Galliano sends exactly the wrong message to those who utilize hate speech and intolerance.�

On Thursday, the fashion designer was found guilty of "public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" and received a suspended €6,000 ($8,500) fine which will not have to be paid unless he re-offends within five years.

�It is outrageous that someone who told others that they ‘ought to be dead’ and expressed support for the Holocaust gets away with less than a slap on the wrist,� Kantor said. �This sentence demonstrates that there appears to be a culture of impunity in the entertainment world.�

�These two events together send a very ominous message to the outside world that look up to figures like Von Trier and Galliano.

Source: Ynetnews

EJC Regrets Israel-Turkey Crisis

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) on Monday expressed regret over the recent deterioration in the historic relations between Israel and Turkey since the release of the United Nations report which investigated the deadly IDF raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla on May 31 2010.

EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor said in a statement that with all the recent events in the Middle East, the Turkey-Israel relationship is especially vital.

“The strategic partnership and close cooperation between Israel and Turkey for the last few decades have proven a significant anchor of stability for the Middle East,” Kantor said. “This is not just a relationship of mutual interests but an important pillar of global security.”

Upon the release of the UN report of the secretary-general’s panel of inquiry on the May 31 2010 flotilla incident, Turkey lowered diplomatic relations to the lowest level and threatened further steps if their demands are not met.

These demands include a full apology, compensation of the families of the victims and the ending of Israel’s defensive blockade against Gaza, something the UN report described as �a legitimate security measure�.

'Disastrous consequences'

The EJC echoed the words of the report, which recommends that Turkey and Israel should resume full diplomatic relations or there may be disastrous unseen consequences.

Turkey's reluctance to comply by the recommendations of the report is unfortunate, the representative body of European Jewish communities said, and is not helpful towards their efforts towards membership of the European Union.

�We hope that both Israel and Turkey will implement the recommendations of the report as a roadmap to return relations to normal, including regret for the loss of life which Israel has already provided,� Kantor said.

�Both sides agreed to the panel of inquiry and had their voices heard. It is highly unfortunate for the findings to be ignored because they do not meet either party�s maximum demands.�

Kantor said he hoped that Turkey would remain a tolerant and moderating country for Jews and Muslims, as it has been for many centuries.

Source: Ynetnews.com

European Jewish Congress �Regrets� Deterioration of Israel-Turkey Relations

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expresses regret over the recent deterioration in the historic relations between Israel and Turkey since the release of the United Nations report which investigated the flotilla incident of May 31st 2010.

In a statement, EJC President Kantor expressed the hope that Turkey "will remain a tolerant and moderating country for Jews and Muslims, as it has been for many centuries."

He said that especially with all the recent events in the Middle East, the Turkey-Israel relationship is vital.

"The strategic partnership and close cooperation between Israel and Turkey for the last few decades have proven a significant anchor of stability for the Middle East," Kantor said. "This is not just a relationship of mutual interests but an important pillar of global security."

Upon the release of the UN Report on the 31 May 2010 flotilla incident, Turkey lowered diplomatic relations with Israel to the lowest level and threatened further steps if their demands are not met.

"The EJC echoes the words of the report which recommends that Turkey and Israel should resume full diplomatic relations, otherwise there may be disastrous unseen consequences," the statement said.

"The reluctance of Turkey to comply by the recommendations of the report is unfortunate, and is not helpful towards their efforts towards membership of the European Union."

"We hope that both Israel and Turkey will implement the recommendations of the report as a roadmap to return relations to normal, including a regret for the loss of life which Israel has already provided," Kantor said.

"Both sides agreed to the panel of inquiry and had their voices heard. It is highly unfortunate for the findings to be ignored because they do not meet either party’s maximum demands."

Source: European Jewish Press

Jewish Group Regrets Turkey's Downgrading of Israel Ties

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Turkey shouldn’t have expelled the Israeli ambassador and downgraded its relations with Israel, the European Jewish Congress said on Monday.

EJC President Moshe Kantor said ties between Turkey and Israel were vital for the stability of the Middle East, especially with recent events in the region.

Source: JPost.com

Jewish Groups Plan Strategy to Counter Ban on Ritual Slaughter

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Jewish organizations met to discuss taking political and legal action against proposed legislation to ban kosher slaughter in Holland.

Participants at the meeting Wednesday called by the European Jewish Congress included Shechita UK, prominent members of the Dutch community and the European Conference of Rabbis, according to the EJC.

Among the steps they decided on were legal action; lobbying members of the Dutch Senate, which still must ratify the legislation before it becomes law; and seeking an independent renowned expert to assert that kosher slaughter is equally humane, if not more so, than most other means of slaughter.

Under a bill passed by the lower house of the Dutch Parliament at the end of June, animals are required to be stunned before slaughter. Both Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter must be performed while the animal is fully conscious. The Dutch Senate is expected to take up the measure before the end of the year.

The bill was put forward by the Animal Rights Party, which claims that stunning before slaughter causes less pain to the animal. The Jewish and Muslim communities have a year to prove otherwise or the law will go into effect.

“The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is extremely clear on the protection of religious freedom, especially when weighed against the protection of animals,” said Albert Guigui, the chief rabbi of Belgium.

Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, said the Jewish community is united and has a plan of action that will be implemented to fight a "tremendous battle ahead."

"This law will not provide a mere inconvenience to the Jews of Holland, it could severely curtail Jewish life on the whole continent of Europe, and we need to act accordingly to this threat,” he said.

Some 40,000 Jews and about 1 million Muslims live in the country.

Source: Jewish Telegraphic Agency

European Jewish Groups Vow to Fight Dutch Slaughter Ban

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The bill by the small Animal Rights Party united both Jews and Muslims in protest because it would ban kosher and halal slaughter, which requires animals be conscious when killed

Two leading Jewish organizations in Europe vowed yesterday to fight a looming ban on ritual animal slaughter in the Netherlands approved by the lower house of the Dutch parliament in a bid to protect animal rights.

�The European Jewish Congress (EJC ) announced it was considering taking legal action to block the ban, which it said violated the freedom of religion enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights.

The Conference of European Rabbis (CER ) appealed to the Dutch Senate, which must approve the bill before it can become law, to block the ban that the lower house approved on Tuesday.

The bill by the small Animal Rights Party united both Jews and Muslims in protest because it would ban kosher and halal slaughter, which requires animals be conscious when killed.

European Union regulations say animals must be stunned before slaughter to minimize pain, but allow exceptions for the ancient religious traditions behind kosher and halal laws.

"This law stands in direct opposition to Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, namely the right to freedom of religion," EJC President Moshe Kantor said in a statement. "We are now looking into the possibility of fighting this discriminatory law at the European level before it reaches the Dutch Senate for a vote to make it law."

Source: Haaretz.com

Dutch Lawmakers Vote to Ban Ritual Animal Slaughter

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Animals have to be stunned before being slaughtered in halal or kosher rituals, except if it could be proven they would suffer less without it, Dutch lawmakers decided Tuesday.

The bill by the small Animal Rights Party (PvdD), the first such group in Europe to win seats in a national parliament, passed the lower house of parliament by 116 votes to 30. It must now be approved by the upper house before becoming law.

Dutch law states that all animals must be stunned before being butchered, but has previously made an exception for halal and shechita or kosher ritual slaughter. The new bill abolishes the exception.a majority of the Dutch lower house adopted an amendment abolishing this exception.

The new bill was condemned by Jewish groups. "By voting for a de facto ban on kosher slaughter, the lower house of the Dutch parliament has repudiated the Netherlands’ historic commitment to religious freedom," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the New York-based Anti Defamation League (ADL).

"This law stands in direct opposition to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely the right to freedom of religion," Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), said.

The Dutch Parliamentarians, however, also adopted a separate amendment stating that ritual slaughter can be performed without stunning if "independent proof" could be shown that an animal would suffer less if it was not dazed.

But the country’s chief rabbi Binyomin Jacobs said this exemption in the law "is absolutely impossible to prove." "You can�t ask the animal how it feels afterwards. Nobody can prove this."

"Old people are scared and young people who are just married are calling me to ask if they should stay here, today it is the shechita and tomorrow what, circumcision? People are afraid," the rabbi said.

About 40,000 Jews live in Holland.

"The very fact that there is a discussion about this is very painful for the Jewish community," Binyomin Jacobs said. "Those who survived WWII remember the very first law made by the Germans in Holland was the banning of shechita."

Domino effect ?

"Other countries look to Holland as an example, and we are afraid of the domino effect, that other countries will follow," the rabbi added.

"For us this is not acceptable. It puts us in the position which is not acceptable," Ruben Vis, a leader of NIK, an umbrella group of Jewish organizations, said.

"Firstly, we will have to find ways how to serve needs of members of our community in the Netherlands," he said. "And secondly it�s a problem of freedom of religion, which is granted by the constitution. It feels like a separation between us, as the oldest religious group here, and Dutch society."

Jewish and Muslim representatives insist that ritual slaughter respects animal welfare, citing methods used to limit suffering and arguing that ritual butchers receive expert training.

They implored the Dutch government, unsuccessfully, not to change the law as it would impact on their freedom of religion.

More than two million animals - mainly sheep and chickens - were ritually slaughtered in the Netherlands every year, the PvdD said.

Abdelfattah Ali-Salah, director of Halal Correct, the organisation that issues halal certificates in the country, has called this figure "inexact", saying it was closer to 250,000.

"This way of killing causes unnecessary pain to animals. Religious freedom cannot be unlimited," said Marianne Thieme, head of the Animal Rights Party, said before the vote. "For us religious freedom stops where human or animal suffering begins."

Source: Ejpress.org

European Jewish Congress Considers Legal Action to Prevent Ban on Kosher Slaughter In Holland, �Real Shock For Jews In Europe�

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Moshe Kantor slammed the decision by the Dutch Parliament to outlaw shechita, the Jewish ritual slaughter, and said it is looking at pursuing legal action to prevent the ban.

The new law requires that livestock must be stunned before being killed, contrary to Jewish law, and now passes to the Dutch upper house, the Senate, for ratification.

"his law stands in direct opposition to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely the right to freedom of religion," Kantor said.

"We are now looking into the possibility of fighting this discriminatory law at the European level before it reaches the Dutch Senate for a vote to make it law."

"We cannot let such a blatantly discriminatory law stand without fighting it, especially as it stands contrary to European standards and freedoms."

Kantor said the vote of the law in the lower house of the Dutch parliament was a real shock for the Jewish community in Europe.

"This is a dark day for the Jewish community," he said. "This could serve as a terrible precedent for other parts of Europe and tells the Jews that they and their customs are no longer welcome."

The EJC also noted that the Jewish community in Holland has its roots in those Jews who fled persecution and discrimination to a land which has since become acclaimed for its freedom of religion and expression.

"Unfortunately, this is the result of a campaign that only discriminates against ritual slaughter while ignoring all other types of slaughter and that does not bode well for Dutch tolerance and freedom," Kantor said.

Source: European Jewish Press

EJC Considering Legal Action to Prevent Ban on Shechita in Holland

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Dr. Moshe Kantor slammed today’s decision by the Dutch Parliament to outlaw Jewish ritual slaughter. The new law requires that livestock must be stunned before being killed, contrary to Jewish law, and now passes to the Dutch Senate for ratification.

EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor said that his organization is looking at pursuing legal action to prevent the ban. “This law stands in direct opposition to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely the right to freedom of religion,” Kantor said. “We are now looking into the possibility of fighting this discriminatory law at the European level before it reaches the Dutch Senate for a vote to make it law.”

�We can not let such a blatantly discriminatory law stand without fighting it, especially as it stands contrary to European standards and freedoms.�

Kantor said the passage of the law was a real shock for the Jewish community in Europe.

�This is a dark day for the Jewish community,� Kantor said. �This could serve as a terrible precedent for other parts of Europe and tells the Jews that they and their customs are no longer welcome.�

�Unfortunately, this is the result of a campaign that only discriminates against ritual slaughter while ignoring all other types of slaughter and that does not bode well for Dutch tolerance and freedom,� Kantor said.

Source: Theyeshivaworld.com

Is Holocaust Education The Solution To Resurging Anti-Semitism?

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The growing trend of hate-incidents in Europe and a recent European Jewish Congress poll revealing a disturbing number of people with little knowledge of, or interest in, the Holocaust.

In recent months, there has been a spate of public statements from high-profile European personalities and public figures, in which they have expressed ideas that appear anti-Semitic. From former Christian Dior fashion designer John Galliano, who in February declared that he "loved Hitler," to Danish film producer Lars von Trier, who said at the Cannes film festival in May that he understood and sympathized with the Nazi leader, it seems that quite a number of people in Europe are losing their inhibitions when it comes to expressing their anti-Semitism.

Last December, Greek Orthodox Bishop Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus declared on a morning TV show in Greece that "Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism" and that Zionists control international banking. The Mayor of Malmo, Sweden, meanwhile, equated Zionism with anti-Semitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, saying that he rejected them both.

Other European officials have also let slip their feelings about the power of the Jewish community. European Commission trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said on Belgian radio in Sep-tember last year that one should not underestimate the "grip" of the Jewish lobby on American politics, nor, on the subject of Israel, should one "underestimate the opinion... of the average Jew outside Israel" in light of a belief "among most Jews that they are right."

In May, Belgian Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck said in a television debate that he was in favor of amnesty for those who collaborated with Nazis during World War II, and that it was time for Belgium to "forget" about this period of history.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, is concerned by this trend. The increasing number of public anti-Semitic statements illustrates, for him, a rise in what he defines as "respectable anti-Semitism," and that such prominent figures can evoke these anti-Semitic canards is disturbing.

"All levels of society need to be accountable for their words and their actions. Jews cannot possibly feel safe on a continent whose prominent figures can say such things," Kantor says.

More worrying, perhaps, is the continuing increase in general of anti-Semitic incidents across Europe. According to the Community Security Trust, the body dealing with Jewish com-munity security in the UK, 2010 was the second-worst year on record for anti-Semitic incidents since recording began in 1984. In France, the Jewish Community Protection Service has gone so far as to say in its 2010 report that anti-Semitism has become "an enduring attribute of our society," and according to a study on worldwide anti-Semitism conducted by the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism and the Kan-tor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, serious anti-Semitic incidents of physical violence, direct threats and major acts of vandalism were the third-highest in 2010 since recording began in 1990.

Louise Ellman, a UK Member of Parliament for the Labor Party on the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism, notes that "anti-Zionism is certainly a convenient cloak for anti-Semitism."

But as a politician who has striven to combat anti-Semitism, she is understandably more circumspect about the implications of the kind of statements made by Galliano and von Trier.

"Of course it's deeply disturbing that they felt comfortable expressing such opinions in the first place," she says, but she doesn't agree that these kinds of incidents indicate a growing acceptance of anti-Semitism. "The fact that condemnation and action against them came so swiftly shows that the kind of sentiment they expressed is still beyond the pale," she argues.

At the same time, there are indications that knowledge of the historical facts of the Holocaust might be declining in European countries.

A recent poll commissioned by the European Jewish Congress on the topic showed that almost two-thirds of those surveyed did not know how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust. In Spain, of those polled in the 18-44 age bracket, nearly 35 percent didn't know when the Holocaust occurred, and in the UK, in the same age range, nearly 20% didn't know what Auschwitz was. Two-thirds of the youth surveyed could not identify Holocaust organizer and facilitator Adolf Eichmann. There is concern that these levels of ignorance could prove fertile ground for Holocaust deniers or minimizers.

The findings can be interpreted as evidence for those who claim that a greater investment in, and a redirection of, Holocaust education is required.

"Europe has put a lot of effort and resources into Holocaust education," Kantor says, "but it does not seem to be working. Perhaps it is time to rethink the strategy of Holocaust awareness. As the Holocaust recedes further into the past and fewer survivors are alive to tell their story, we have to find new and innovative ways of imparting knowledge and understanding about the darkest chapter in modern European history."

Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who is based in the United States, says that "while the situation is not so pessimistic, given the [EJC Holocaust awareness] survey's results, there certainly needs to be greater investment in education."

Samuel Pisar - an internationally renowned lawyer and the author of Of Blood and Hope, a memoir of his experiences as a youth under Nazi tyranny - stresses this need as well, especially among the younger population in Europe.

"We have to find a way to alert the young people," Pisar says in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post. "We must print books in local languages and place information on the Web where it is more accessible. Holocaust books must also be made available in the Arab world where people only have access to official and often poisonous propaganda."

He also emphasizes that with fewer survivors able to recount their experiences and build the record with authentic first hand evidence, there will be more room for those who call the holocaust a "myth" to spread their lies about the Holocaust. .

"We, the last survivors, are disappearing one by one. Soon we will not be around. The Holocaust will be discussed and debated by researchers, novelists and other well-meaning people - if we are lucky," he says. "However, it will also be distorted by deniers, negationists and incendiary demagogues. That process has already begun."

According to Pisar, De Clerck's views reflect an increas¬ing outlook in Europe, but he also places it in a broader context of anti-Semitism.

"Yes, of course this reflects that growing mind-set," he says in reaction to the Belgian justice minister's comments. "But there is a larger answer here. Things have changed. Anti-Semitism today is not the same anti-Semitism. It has also moved to the political left, and there is a lot of simplification and naivete in it."

Dr. Shimon Samuels, director of international relations for the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Paris, agrees that the issues of rising anti-Semitism and the lack of Holocaust awareness are interconnected.

"Holocaust awareness," he says, "is a function of how it is processed and interpreted through the prism of sentiment toward Jews in general."

To him, there might not be a problem with awareness of the Holocaust itself but with the context within which it is being taught.

He argues that there are many other external factors influencing people today, having a negative impact on the way they perceive the Holocaust. This includes the largely negative manner in which Israel is portrayed in the media, as well as the phenomenon of Holocaust denial and trivialization, and possibly a backlash against Holocaust education.

But more importantly, Samuels believes that the Holocaust is being "anthropologized," in that it is being universalized as one (albeit the worst) among several genocidal events in the twentieth century, and its uniqueness is therefore being corroded.

Moreover, he says that "the Holocaust is being decoupled from contemporary anti-Semitism," and that this may be one reason the lessons of the Holocaust are being forgotten amid the growing acceptability of anti-Semitic sentiments today.

To address this problem, he believes the Holocaust must be contextualized and taught in conjunction with the phenomena of contemporary anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, if the specificity of the Holocaust to anti-Semitism is not to be lost.

Of greater concern for Prof. Robert Wistrich of the Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism is, he says, the reluctance of those in Europe to deal with the anti-Semitism that is prevalent in many Muslim communities on the continent, as well as the complete disregard for the virulent and toxic anti-Semitism that is rampant throughout the Middle East.

"The liberal consensus in Europe has buried its head in the sand for the past 10 years, and the Western world is, to an extent, exhibiting the same syndrome it did in the 1930s, in that no one wants to acknowledge what's happening today," he asserts. The media highlights incidents in which high-profile people in the West make anti-Semitic comments, "but there is silence with regard to the rabid incitement that goes on day to day in the Middle East."

Wistrich does not consider Europe to be ignorant of the Holocaust and points to a high level of awareness brought about not only by formal education but also by media, theater and cinema.

But Holocaust education is failing, he says, "because it needs to be adapted to the world we live in. Throwing millions at building museums is not working in Europe; a more thoughtful approach is required."

Evidence for this, he says, is the way in which Nazi imagery is often used as a means to demonize Israel. Stars of David are shown morphing into swastikas, Israel is referred to as a fascist or Nazi regime, Gaza is compared to Auschwitz, and Israel is accused of carrying out a holocaust against the Palestinians. All this is common fare for those on the extreme end of the anti-Zionist spectrum.

If Holocaust imagery can be so readily used against Jews, then for Wistrich, it is clear that the historical event has become divorced from the phenomenon of anti-Semitism through which it was conceived, and this presents a big problem.

Many believe that better educational strategies can be found to combat the alarming trend in which classically anti-Semitic notions are seen as less taboo as time passes. Even though knowledge and awareness of the Holocaust in Europe are still widespread, its unique lessons as they pertain to historical prejudice toward the Jewish people are in danger of being lost.

Some believe that European leaders need a combination of education and legislation to reverse these alarming trends. One possibility is to consider that the "working definition of anti-Semitism" created by the European Union Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) adopted in 2005 could serve as a good model.

This definition has been utilized by, among others, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

(OSCE), the US State Department and UK All-Party Par-liamentary Enquiry into Anti-Semitism, and the National Union of Students in Britain. However, the British University and College Union (UCU) recently voted to reject this definition of anti-Semitism - a decision slammed by a large number of Jewish organizations in Europe.

Many believe Europe is not moving quickly enough to legislate against anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. In 2008, the EU Commission created a framework decision calling on all EU member states to adopt model legislation to combat hate and intolerance in their respective legal systems within two years. To date, none have done so.

According to Kantor, "Jews have always been a barometer for European open-mindedness. I would claim that this could be described as a dark period for European tolerance. There must be greater investment in a more robust education, beginning at the youngest age... All of us, Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, European leaders and legislators and the average European, can and should be doing more."

Source: The Jerusalem Post Magazine

World Needs Reset Of Entire System Of International Relations � Experts

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The Russia-U.S. reset is not enough, there must a reset of the entire system of international relations, said experts of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe.

It is impossible to combat new challenges and threats alone, ex-International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head and ex-Swedish foreign minister Hans Blix said. Each year countries spend millions of dollars on weaponry, but it would be much better to spend this money on environmental protection, he said.

Forum President Vyacheslav Kantor said he was very much concerned about missile defense disagreements between Moscow and Washington. “The impasse in the missile defense dialog threats further limitation of non-strategic nuclear armaments. It is very important to build up confidence or otherwise the disagreements will become protracted,” he said.

Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee Maj. Gen. Retired Vladimir Dvorkin said he was optimistic about the future of security architecture. “Disagreements between Russia and the United States are temporary. Any negotiations start with a comparison with positions; after that opinions are specified and brought together. It is only a question of time,” he said.

The Forum participants had a detailed discussion of the Iranian nuclear program. �The number of centrifuges is growing, and a point of no-return may be pretty close,� Kantor said. The experts did not rule out that the range of Iranian missiles might soon exceed 3,000 kilometers but said, at the same time, it was important to prevent a strike on Iran. �Consequences will be the most terrible,� they said.

The events in the Middle East and North Africa were a key item on the agenda. �The current events may lead to drastic changes in the correlation of political forces and endanger security of the entire region,� the experts said.

The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe is a non-governmental organization that unites international experts in non-proliferation. It was founded in May 2007.

Source: ITAR-TASS

European Jewish Congress against Palestinian Unilateralism

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) is working to combat the possibility of European nations recognizing a unilaterally-declared Palestinian state at the United Nations in September. EJC President Moshe Kantor wrote a letter to all European heads of state, foreign affairs ministers and EU leadership, laying out the problems with recognizing a unilaterally-declared Palestinian state. “Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will not bring a solution to the existing conflict or create peace in the Middle East,” wrote Kantor. “On the contrary, it will add new layers to the unresolved and complex legal and political issues. Without a negotiated solution, the chances of even greater violence in the region will be higher, especially at this time of flux for the Middle East.”

Kantor also stated that recognizing a Palestinian state outside of negotiations �stands in opposition to the principles of the Quartet� and �undermine existing bilateral agreements between the Israelis and the Palestinians.� He added: �I am certain it does not need reminding that these agreements were signed on behalf or in the presence of the European Union." The letter also recalles that Hamas, now as part of the Palestinian government, is still calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and aspiring to annihilate the Jewish people.

Kantor and the EJC leadership are meeting with various European leaders, and European decision-makers. In addition, the EJC has called on European Jews to lobby their elected representatives against the Palestinian bid for recognition.

The EJC leader urged Europe to take a more balanced role in the Middle East conflict. �The Palestinians take parts of Europe for granted and they know regardless of how firmly they shut the door on negotiations, incite to violence, negate Israel’s national character and partner with terrorist organizations, some in Europe will continue to support them to the hilt,� he said. �For a true resolution to this conflict, Europe has to tell the Palestinians firmly that they will only gain their aspirations at the negotiating table and nowhere else.�

Source: World Jewish Congress

European Jewish Congress Urges European Leaders to Oppose Unilateral Recognition of Palestinian State

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor called on European Nations leaders to oppose the recognition of a unilaterally-declared Palestinian state at the United Nations in September.

"Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State will not bring a solution to the existing conflict or create peace in the Middle East," Kantor wrote in a letter to European heads of state, Foreign Affairs Ministers, MEPs and EU leadership.

"On the contrary, it will add new layers to the unresolved and complex legal and political issues. Without a negotiated solution, the chances of even greater violence in the region will be higher, especially at this time of flux for the Middle East," he added.

Kantor also stated that recognizing a Palestinian state outside of negotiations "stands in opposition to the principles of the Quartet" and "undermine existing bilateral agreements between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

"I am certain it does not need reminding that these agreements were signed on behalf or in the presence of the European Union," Kantor said in the letter.

The EJC has called on European Jews to lobby their elected representatives against the Palestinian bid for recognition.

In the letter Kantor also recalled that Hamas, which is now part of the Palestinian government, still calls for the violent destruction of the State of Israel and aspires to the annihilation of the Jewish People.

"For a true resolution to this conflict, Europe has to tell the Palestinians firmly that they will only gain their aspirations at the negotiating table and nowhere else."

Source: European Jewish Press

Scottish Municipality Bans Israeli Books, Others to Join Ban

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A Scottish municipality has banned from its libraries books by Israeli authors and that were printed or published in Israel.

The West Dunbartonshire Council, consisting of towns and villages west of Glasgow, ordered new books by Israeli authors to be banned from the council’s libraries, according to reports.

The ban reportedly was ordered after last year’s raid by Israeli commandoes on a ship attempting to break Israel�s blockade on Gaza that led to the death of nine Turkish nationals. The ban followed a decision made 2 1/2 years ago following the Gaza war to boycott goods produced in Israel. According to that law, the council and all its public bodies are forbidden to sell goods that originated from Israel.

The council told the Express that 10 other councils had agreed to join the boycott.

The Scottish city Dundee also issued a recommendation to boycott goods produced in Israel, but it was set aside after city legal advisers said it was likely illegal under European Union law. The city instead will distribute posters throughout the city asking its residents not to buy Israeli goods and place a special sticker on products that are made in Israel.

“A place that boycotts books is not far from a place that burns them,” Israel�s ambassador to the U.K., Ron Prosor, told Ynet Tuesday.

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor called the banning of Israeli books and the marking of Israeli products in Scotland “eerily reminiscent of darker times, and perhaps there is a level of hatred that connects them.”

�While those behind the boycott will claim that this is not anti-Semitic, targeting the only Jewish state, a democracy, while ignoring serial human rights-abusing nations tells us that this is indeed anti-Semitic in intent and in effect,� Kantor said in a statement released Tuesday. �This demonstrates how far ‘respectable anti-Semitism� has come. Clearly it has become acceptable to boycott and discriminate against Jews, as long as there is a thin veneer of anti-Zionism which purportedly covers the hateful act.�

Kantor called on Britain and Scotland to pronounce the boycott illegal.

Source: Command the Raven

The World's Most Influential Jews

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0600

1-10: Mark Zuckerberg, Binyamin Netanyahu, Sheryl Sandberg, Ehud Barak, Benny Gantz, Meir Dagan, Dennis Ross, Ben Bernanke, Stanley Fischer, Yuli Edelstein.

11-20: Ron Prosor, Michael Oren, Eric Cantor, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Daniel Shapiro, Malcolm Hoenlein, Tzipi Livni, Shai Agassi, Ester Levanon, Moshe Kantor.

21-30: Alexander Mashkevitch, Shimon Peres, Gabbriella Giffords, Natan Sharansky, Nir Barkat, Yosef Abramowitz, Jon Stewart, Ruth Messinger, Roz Rothstein, Abe Foxman.

31-40: Howard Kohr, Adin Steinsaltz, Nora Ephron, Irene Rosenfeld, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fiamma Nirenstein, Joseph Cedar, Natalie Portman, Yitzhak David Grossman, Shlomo Amar.

41-50: Menahem Froman, Shlomo Riskin, Rabbi Richard Jacobs, Orna Barbivai, Ed Miliband, Job Cohen, Ivan Glasenberg, Bertie Lubner, Sarah Silverman, Bar Refaeli.

{…} 20. Moshe Kantor

President of the European Jewish Congress

Wherever anti-Semitism appears, Moshe Kantor will be there raising the battle cry.

Since he became the president of the European Jewish Congress in 2007, the 57-year-old Russianborn businessman who made his fortune in the chemical industry has used the position to lash out at the enemies of the Jewish people and has done so with unrelenting zeal.

Fashion designer John Galliano, Danish director Lars Von Trier and other individuals who have recently made casual and less casual anti-Semitic remarks have felt the lash of his tongue.

Kantor’s leadership of the European Jewish Congress and the money from his own purse that he invested supporting Jewish causes have helped propel it forward. He spends much of his time meeting with European leaders in various capitals, advocating on behalf of issues of relevance to Israel and the Jewish people. He has played an extremely active role in the fight against the delegitimization of Israel, anti-Semitism and the proscription of shehita.

Kantor supports the Jewish revival in Europe and serves as a conduit between the European Jewish community and the European political and religious leadership.

In his role as president of the Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe, he has also assembled the world’s greatest experts on nuclear proliferation to warn against an Iranian nuclear program. {…}

Source: JPost.com

European Jewish Congress: Banning Of Israeli Books and Products as In �Darker Times�

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor has reacted with outrage to reports of the banning of Israeli books and distinctively marking Israeli products in several districts in Scotland, near Glasgow. Kantor said: “these acts are eerily reminiscent of darker times and perhaps there is a level of hatred that connects them.”

According to reports, two and a half years ago, shortly after Operation Cast Lead, the West Dunbartonshire Regional Council, located west of Glasgow, approved a bill that called to boycott goods produced in Israel. West Dunbartonshire was joined by the large Scottish city Dundee, which decided to issue a recommendation to boycott all goods produced in Israel.

Legal advisers instructed Dundee’s mayor to refrain from legally enforcing the boycott in order to avoid future lawsuits. Instead, the municipality plans to distribute posters throughout the city, calling on some 150,000 residents to refrain from buying Israeli goods.

“While those behind the boycott will claim that this is not anti-Semitic, targeting the only Jewish state, a democracy, while ignoring serial human-rights abusing nations tells us that this is indeed anti-Semitic in intent and in effect,” Kantor continued. �This demonstrates how far ‘respectable antisemitism’ has come. Clearly it has become acceptable to boycott and discriminate against Jews, as long as there is a thin veneer of anti-Zionism which purportedly covers the hateful act.�

�We call on Scottish and British officials to immediately pronounce this boycott illegal.�

Source: Todaynewsline.com

European Jewish Congress President Denounces Calls to Ban Israeli Books and Products in Scotland, 'Eerily Reminiscent Of Darker Times'

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor expressed outrage at reports of the banning of Israeli books and distinctively marking Israeli products in several districts near Glasgow, Scotland.

Israeli books translated into English were recently added to the list of prohibited books in libraries.

"It is inconceivable that products from the Jewish State are banned or distinctively marked in Scotland," Kantor said. "These acts are eerily reminiscent of darker times and perhaps there is a level of hatred that connects them."

According to reports, two and a half years ago, shortly after the Israeli Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Gaza, the West Dunbartonshire Regional Council, located west of Glasgow, approved a bill that called to boycott goods produced in Israel.

West Dunbartonshire was joined by the large Scottish city Dundee, which decided to issue a recommendation to boycott all goods produced in Israel.

Legal advisers however instructed Dundee's mayor to refrain from legally enforcing the boycott in order to avoid future lawsuits as such action is illegal under European Union law.

Instead, the municipality plans to distribute posters throughout the city, calling on some 150,000 residents to refrain from buying Israeli goods, and will also apply a special mark on Israeli products, in order to make them easily identifiable.

"While those behind the boycott will claim that this is not anti-Semitic, targeting the only Jewish state, a democracy, while ignoring serial human-rights abusing nations tells us that this is indeed anti-Semitic in intent and in effect," Kantor continued.

"This demonstrates how far ‘respectable anti-Semitism’ has come. Clearly it has become acceptable to boycott and discriminate against Jews, as long as there is a thin veneer of anti-Zionism which purportedly covers the hateful act."

Kantor called on Scottish and British officials "to immediately pronounce this boycott illegal."

"A place that boycotts books is not far from a place that burns them," Israel's ambassador to the U.K., Ron Prosor, remarked.

Source: European Jewish Press

EJC Speaks Out Against Scotland Ban of Israeli Products

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The European Jewish Congress spoke out on Tuesday against reports that Israeli books and products have been banned or distinctively marked in several districts in Scotland, near Glasgow.

According to reports, the ban was initiated two and a half years ago, shortly after Operation Cast Lead. At the time, the West Dunbartonshire Regional Council, located west of Glasgow, approved a bill that called to boycott goods produced in Israel. West Dunbartonshire was later joined by the large Scottish city Dundee, which decided to issue a recommendation to boycott all goods produced in Israel.

Legal advisers instructed Dundee’s mayor to refrain from legally enforcing the boycott in order to avoid future lawsuits. Instead, the municipality now plans to distribute posters throughout the city, in which they call on its approximately 150,000 residents to refrain from buying Israeli goods. The municipality will also apply a special mark on Israeli products in order to make them easily identifiable.

A report last week in The Jewish Chronicle noted that a ban on books by Israeli authors could also be enforced in Scottish libraries as part of the same boycott policy. The report noted that while to date, no books have been removed from any of the libraries as the council members say censorship is “not in the spirit” of their boycott, officials are now “prepared to rule on a book-by-book basis.”

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor said in response: �It is inconceivable that products from the Jewish State are banned or distinctively marked in Scotland. These acts are eerily reminiscent of darker times and perhaps there is a level of hatred that connects them.�

He added that �While those behind the boycott will claim that this is not anti-Semitic, targeting the only Jewish state, a democracy, while ignoring serial human-rights abusing nations tells us that this is indeed anti-Semitic in intent and in effect. This demonstrates how far ‘respectable antisemitism’ has come. Clearly it has become acceptable to boycott and discriminate against Jews, as long as there is a thin veneer of anti-Zionism which purportedly covers the hateful act.

�We call on Scottish and British officials to immediately pronounce this boycott illegal,� concluded Kantor.

Source: Arutz Sheva

Scottish Municipality Bans Israeli Books

Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A Scottish municipality has banned from its libraries books by Israeli authors and that were printed or published in Israel.

The West Dunbartonshire Council, consisting of towns and villages west of Glasgow, ordered new books by Israeli authors to be banned from the council's libraries, according to reports.

The ban reportedly was ordered after last year's raid by Israeli commandoes on a ship attempting to break Israel's blockade on Gaza that led to the death of nine Turkish nationals. The ban followed a decision made 2 1/2 years ago following the Gaza war to boycott goods produced in Israel. According to that law, the council and all its public bodies are forbidden to sell goods that originated from Israel.

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesman told the UK Express over the weekend that the boycott is not retrospective and that no books have been removed from libraries.

The council told the Express that 10 other councils had agreed to join the boycott.

"A place that boycotts books is not far from a place that burns them," Israel's ambassador to the U.K., Ron Prosor, told Ynet Tuesday.

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor called the banning of Israeli books and the marking of Israeli products in Scotland "eerily reminiscent of darker times, and perhaps there is a level of hatred that connects them.”

“While those behind the boycott will claim that this is not anti-Semitic, targeting the only Jewish state, a democracy, while ignoring serial human rights-abusing nations tells us that this is indeed anti-Semitic in intent and in effect,” Kantor said in a statement released Tuesday. “This demonstrates how far ‘respectable anti-Semitism’ has come. Clearly it has become acceptable to boycott and discriminate against Jews, as long as there is a thin veneer of anti-Zionism which purportedly covers the hateful act.�

Kantor called on Britain and Scotland to pronounce the boycott illegal.

Source: Jewish Telegraphic Agency

In Belgium, WWII Suddenly an Issue Again

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Old wounds open again as extremist Flemish Interest party pushes bill on amnesty for collaboration with Nazis to senate floor. Jewish groups shocked by justice minister's advice to 'forget' something so closely linked to Holocaust.

As Belgium struggles with its yearlong government crisis, a 65-year-old issue is suddenly adding to the animosity between the feuding Dutch-speaking Flemish and Francophone politicians.

Almost by stealth, the extremist Flemish Interest party pushed a bill on amnesty for World War II collaboration with Nazis to the senate floor last week. All at once, old wounds on both sides of the linguistic divide that cuts through Belgium opened again.

"Linguistic war over amnesty," headlined the De Standaard newspaper Thursday. "Amnesty heightens linguistic tensions," echoed the French-speaking Le Soir.

Many in Francophone Wallonia, the southern region of the country, see collaboration with the Nazi occupier as having been primarily a flaw of the Flemish, cultural cousins to the Germans. But in Flanders, fingers are pointed in the direction of Leon Degrelle, a Walloon agitator and Belgium's best-known collaborator.

Belgium was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1944, and there was active collaboration with the Nazis in persecuting Jews.

Some 50,000 Jews lived in Belgium in the 1930s and about half were killed during the Holocaust. In 2002, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt apologized to the Jewish community for Belgium's role in the Holocaust.

But more recently, collaboration, repression and amnesty had been largely confined to history books and library shelves. The topics almost never came up in bars or newspapers.

Until this week.

"The issue was not alive anymore. What is this about? About nothing," said Flemish legislator and historian Luckas Vander Taelen, who has worked extensively on World War II.

Beyond the proposal of the right-wing Flemish Interest party, the issues were hotly debated again in the House of Representatives after Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck said last week that it might be time to "forget" about collaboration.

A few days later he argued he had never meant to say it and argued anything linked to World War II should always hold lessons for the present. But the damage had been done.

Jews: De Clerck must be fired

International Jewish organizations were shocked by De Clerck's advice to "forget" something so closely linked to the Holocaust.

"There is a strong undercurrent amongst certain European officials that the Holocaust should just recede into history and De Clerck is giving a voice to that," Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, said Thursday.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization that works for former Nazis to be brought to justice, called for De Clerck to be fired.

De Clerck said he would have a meeting with Belgian Jewish organizations this week.

"I understand that the word 'forget,' a word I used, gave rise to much emotion," De Clerck told the legislature late Wednesday. "I had no intention to use these words." A Dutch-speaker, he said he had been struggling to speak in French on such a delicate issue.

"In no way can it be the intention to forget," he said.

The increased divisiveness comes at a bad time, as the major parties on both sides of the linguistic border are trying to end an 11-month stalemate on forming a government. Deliberations on who collaborated more with the Nazis seem unlikely to improve the already tense atmosphere.

"I already have enough problems to solve in the present. It is a debate I would not like to add on to that," said Bart De Wever, leader of the N-VA Flemish nationalists who emerged as the biggest party in the nation after the June 13 election.

"It will lead to nothing," he said. "It never did and never will."

Source: Ynetnews

Jewish Leader Slams Belgian Minister for Nazi Comments

Sun, 22 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

“The fact that a European Justice Minister can claim there should be a statute of limitations for genocide should be unthinkable."

European Jewish Congress President (EJC) Moshe Kantor blasted Belgian Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck on Thursday for saying the Nazi period should be forgotten and supporting amnesty for collaborators with Germany during World War II.

“Europeans have already forgotten the Holocaust and now politicians are making it official,” Kantor said. �The fact that a European Justice Minister can claim there should be a statute of limitations for genocide should be unthinkable, and the idea is repugnant.”

Calls for De Clerck to resign have grown louder after last week after he came out in support of a pardon for Belgians who collaborated with the Nazis at a televised debate.

"Perhaps we should be willing to forget, because it is the past,� De Clerck said. �At some point one has to be adult and be willing to talk about it, perhaps to forget, because this is the past."

At the same time, the Belgian senate narrowly passed a draft legislation proposed by the rightist Belang party that would grant amnesty to Nazi collaborators. The bill still needs approval by the lower house of parliament.

Kantor said remarks made by De Clerck coupled with the results of a recent survey carried out by the EJC which showed two thirds of respondents under the age of 45 did not know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust were particularly concerning. The recent conviction of John Demjanjuk by a German court for his part in the murder of thousands of Jews at the Nazi concentration camp of Sobibor is no consolation for the seemingly growing ignorance among Europeans regarding the Holocaust, he said.

�The message that the conviction of Demjanjuk sent has now been undone in a matter of days due to the irresponsible words of De Clerck. While aging Holocaust survivors thought that they could see justice, even in their final days, the Belgium Justice Minister has robbed them of that.� Kantor claimed that statements like De Clerck’s were seeping down to Europeans, and that is the main reason why there is so much ignorance of the Holocaust.

Source: The Jerusalem Post

In Belgian Politics, World War II Suddenly an Issue after Controversial Call of Minister

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

As Belgium struggles with its yearlong government crisis, a 65-year-old issue is suddenly adding to the animosity between the feuding Dutch-speaking Flemish and Francophone politicians.

"Linguistic war over amnesty," headlined the De Standaard newspaper Thursday. "Amnesty heightens linguistic tensions," echoed the French-speaking Le Soir.

Degrelle, a Walloon agitator and Belgium's best-known collaborator.

Collaboration, repression and amnesty had been largely confined to history books and library shelves. The topics almost never came up in bars or newspapers anymore.

Until this week.

"The issue was not alive anymore. What is this about? About nothing," said Flemish legislator and historian Luckas Vander Taelen, who has worked extensively on World War II.

Beyond the proposal of the right-wing Flemish Interest party, the issues were hotly debated again in the House of Representatives after Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck said Sunday that it might be time to "forget" about collaboration.

A few days later he argued he had never meant to say it and argued anything linked to World War II should always hold lessons for the present. But the damage had been done.

International Jewish organizations were shocked by De Clerck's advice to "forget" something so closely linked to the Holocaust.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization that works for former Nazis to be brought to justice, called for De Clerck to be fired.

De Clerck said he would have a meeting with Belgian Jewish organizations next week.

"In no way can it be the intention to forget," he said.

"It will lead to nothing," he said. "It never did and never will."

Source: The Associated Press

European Jewish Congress Slams Belgian Justice Minister

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor criticized Belgian Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck Thursday for De Clerck's comments about forgetting the Nazi period, especially due to the current ignorance of Europeans about the Holocaust. He joined other groups in slamming De Clerck, who said this week on state-run television channel RTBF: "At a given point, one should act in an adult way and be ready to discuss the issue and even to forget it, because all this is past. This is necessary to restore a society." Following the initial criticism, De Clerck said, "It is not about forgetting or minimising the facts. We should, however, be able to give a proper interpretation of this past and raise the issue in a reasoned way."

The ignorance of Europeans was indicated by a recent poll commissioned by the congress. Kantor called the results especially damning after De Clerck’s comments. “Europeans have already forgotten the Holocaust and now politicians are making it official,” Kantor said. “The fact that a European Justice Minister can claim there should be a statute of limitations for genocide should be unthinkable, and the idea is repugnant.”

Source: Arutz Sheva

Moshe Kantor: 'There Must Be Consequences for Von Trier�s Anti-Semitic Remarks' In Cannes

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor denounced remarks made by film director Lars Von Trier in Cannes, calling them “another reminder of the seeming comfort that anti-Semites feel expressing their prejudices in public gatherings.“

During a press conference at the Cannes film festival, von Trier said Wednesday he sympathized "a little bit" with Adolf Hitler when asked about his German roots.

In a reaction to this comment, Moshe Kantor said: "We have seen too many examples of 'respectable Anti-Semitism' in Europe during the last year and Von Trier's outburst is merely another example."

He added, "There must be consequences for these types of racist tirades, or it will just continue and escalate."

"It is vital that the European political leadership draw a line and legally proscribe hate speech, because Jews are becoming the fashionable target of increasingly intolerant elements within the political, academic and entertainment strata. Just as the fashion industry has made John Galliano an outcast because of his hate speech, so the film industry should do the same with Von Trier," Kantor said.

Source: EJPress.org

Director Trier Stirs Up Cannes With Nazi Comments

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Award-winning Danish director tells reporters he sympathized with Hitler, thought Israel was “a pain” and was himself a Nazi.

In a strange and rambling speech Danish director Lars Von Trier told a stunned audience at the Cannes film festival on Wednesday morning that he sympathized with Hitler, thought Israel was “a pain” and was himself a Nazi.

At the press conference for "Melancholia," the director who won the Palme d'Or in 2000 was asked to expand on comments he made in an interview about his interest in the Nazi aesthetic.

"I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew," said Von Trier, who, according to biographies was told by his mother on her death bed that the father he had known all his life was not his real father.

"Then later on came (Jewish and Danish director) Susanne Bier and then suddenly I wasn't so happy about being a Jew. No, that was a joke, sorry." "But it turned out I was not a Jew but even if I'd been a Jew I would be kind of a second rate Jew because there is kind of a hierarchy in the Jewish population." "But anyway, I really wanted to be a Jew and then I found out I was really a Nazi, you know, because my family was German ... which also gave me some pleasure." "Melancholia" star Kirsten Dunst looked uncomfortable as he made his remarks, which took reporters by surprise.

"What can I say? I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things, yes absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end.

"I think I understand the man. He's not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I'm not for the Second World War, and I'm not against Jews.

"I am of course very much for Jews. No, not too much because Israel is a pain in the ass. But still, how can I get out of this sentence?" He expressed admiration for Nazi architect Albert Speer before ending another rambling sentence with: "OK, I'm a Nazi." One reporter asked whether he could imagine making a movie that was even bigger in scale than "Melancholia." "Yeah, that's what we Nazis ... we have a tendency to try to do things on a greater scale. Yeah, maybe you could persuade me." He also muttered "the final solution with journalists." As the press conference broke up, Dunst, who was no longer smiling, could be heard saying: "Oh Lars, that was intense." Jewish groups were quick to criticize the director for his controversial remarks.

�Von Trier's remarks serve as another reminder of the seeming comfort that anti-Semites feel expressing their prejudices in public gatherings,� said European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor in a press release. �We have seen too many examples of 'respectable Antisemitism' in Europe during the last year and Von Trier's outburst is merely another example. There must be consequences for these types of racist tirades, or it will just continue and escalate.�

The American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants said in a statement: "Holocaust survivors condemn Von Trier's repulsive comments as an insensitive exploitation of victims' suffering for self-serving promotion and publicity.

"We cannot give a review of his film, but as a person Von Trier is a moral failure Meanwhile, Von Trier issued an apology for his comments on Wednesday evening.

�If I have hurt someone this morning by the words I said at the press conference, I sincerely apologize,� he was quoted by Reuters as saying. "I am not anti-Semitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi."

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Dutch Jews Mobilize Against Attempt to Outlaw Kosher Slaughter

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Amid a wider European debate targeting kosher slaughtering practices inhumane, the Dutch Parliament is considering banning any slaughter of animals not stunned prior to killing.

The proposal, introduced by a far-left minority animal rights party with only two seats in the legislative body, would effectively outlaw kosher slaughtering in the Netherlands, a prospect that has its already-diminishing Jewish community accusing politicians of unfairly targeting a fundamental religious practice.

“I would not have bad feelings if the Party for Animals wanted to completely ban any and all slaughtering,” stated Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Amersfoort. “Every home would be vegetarian and then it would be equal.

�But that’s not what this is,” he added. �It’s nonsense.�

Introduced by Party for Animals leader Marianne Thieme, the bill targets kosher slaughter – known in Hebrew as shechita – for its religious requirement that an animal be conscious when its throat is cut. Modern slaughtering practices, by contrast, use either a bolt shot into an animal�s head or electrocution to stun an animal before it�s killed.

But some animal scientists, most notably Colorado State University professor Temple Grandin, assert that modern slaughtering practices cause more pain and suffering to animals. In her research, Grandin even demonstrated that when ritually slaughtered for kosher consumption, large animals exhibited much less stress.

�People think stunning is just a little injection, but they use a gun,� said Jacobs. �Just because the animal is immobilized, doesn�t mean it doesn�t suffer. And when the animal is shot inaccurately, it clearly suffers like mad.�

Opponents of the bill, which would also ban ritual Muslim slaughtering practices, call it a thinly-disguised form of xenophobia. They note that its backers include such disparate allies as the Socialist Party and the extreme-right Party for Freedom.

Jacobs is leading the charge to convince a majority of the legislature to vote against the measure. And Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, penned a letter to Prime Minister Mark Rutte asserting the pending legislation to be a violation of Article IX of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees protections of religious practices.

Rabbi Raphael Evers of the Rotterdam Federation of Jewish Orthodox Communities in the Netherlands, echoed Kantor�s claim.

�Our Jewish community feels very shocked,� he said. �We have been here in the Netherlands for 400 years and we see this new law against ritual slaughter as an infringement of our constitutional religious rights.�

Switzerland has not allowed kosher slaughter since 1893, and Norway banned it in 1930; Hitler, meanwhile, outlawed the practice in 1933 just after taking power. The Dutch effort, however, would be the first such legislation passed in Europe since the Holocaust.

It comes alongside a European Parliament bill that would mandate labeling of kosher-slaughtered meat as �unstunned before slaughter.�

Dutch Jews see the issue as a wake-up call.

�The older generation is very worried,� said Bluma Jacobs, who opened Lubavitch of the Netherlands with her husband 35 years ago. �First this, and then what?�

Local newspapers have been running articles discussing outlawing ritual circumcision in the last couple weeks, she pointed out. She also fears that Jewish education will face legal challenges.

While the Netherlands has about 50,000 Jews, only about 500 families keep kosher. There is one ritual slaughterer who processes about 2,500 animals each year. Kosher meat is also imported from France and England.

But according to Jacobs, whose familial roots in the country go back more than 250 years, outlawing the import of kosher meat might be the next step if the bill passes.

�The Jewish people, especially Holocaust survivors, are getting scared,� said Binyomin Jacobs. �They�re asking if they have to leave.�

Source: Chabad.org

Jewish Leader for Historic Truth

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The Chairman of the European Jewish Council Vyacheslav Kantor is concerned with attempts of some people in Europe “to rewrite history and to underestimate the role of the Soviet army in liberating the world from Nazism”.

“Historic truth must be restored while witnesses of that terrible war are still alive,” Mr. Kantor said.

He is also against some people’s attempts to equate Stalin’s regime with Nazism.

Source: The Voice of Russia

European Jewish Congress Campaigns for Withdrawal of EU Endorsement of Goldstone Report

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0600

In light of the European Jewish Congress’ (EJC) recent lobbying attempts to members of the European Parliament to rescind a resolution passed early last year that called for the implementation of the Goldstone Report, the EJC has received several letters of support from members of the EU's assembly. Letters were sent to EP members in the wake of the retraction of various accusations against Israel by former South African judge Richard Goldstone in a recent op-ed in the ‘Washington Post’.

The letters were addressed by Moshe Kantor, President of the EJC and refer to Goldstone�s assertions in the article that he has changed his mind about some of the central accusations contained in his original report. “I urge you to take into consideration Justice Goldstone�s recent column and call upon the European Parliament to repudiate its resolution endorsing the Goldstone report,” Kantor wrote.

“This faulty report caused grave damage to the State of Israel and to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority by legitimizing Hamas and strengthening terrorist groups. In addition, its adoption by the European Parliament negatively affected relations between Israel and the EU and Europe�s role in the peace process.”

Kantor is also calling on members of the European Parliament to prevent similar resolutions in the future. �According to its main author, the report was built on certain crucial errors and I hope this episode has taught us to be deeply suspicious of highly-politicized rush to judgments made by multilateral bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council,� he said, adding: �Even Goldstone claimed that the council has an undoubted ‘history of bias against Israel� and yet it is still held in high regard and its reports are adopted by the European Union. Especially in light of Libya and other human rights-abusing countries� roles on the council, it is vital that there is reconsideration in Europe of certain activities by bodies such as these.�

Source: World Jewish Congress

European Jewish Congress receives support from MEP�s for its call to rescind the European Parliament�s resolution on the Goldstone report in light of Goldstone�s recent recantation

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0600

(Wednesday, April 6^th 2011) – In light of the European Jewish Congress’ (EJC) recent lobbying attempts to Members of the European Parliament to rescind a resolution passed early last year that called for the implementation of the Goldstone Report, the EJC received several letters of support from Members

EJC: EU Should Nix Endorsement of Goldstone Report

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0600

President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) Moshe Kantor asked Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a Sunday meeting to have the European Parliament retract its endorsement of the Goldstone Report, after Justice Richard Goldstone’s recent change of heart regarding his findings on Operation Cast Lead.

Orban, who is currently president of the Council of the European Union, was also asked by Kantor to push for an upgrade of EU-Israeli relations, which were suspended following the EU Parliament’s endorsement of the Goldstone Report.

“Goldstone�s revelations regarding his conclusions being incorrect should prompt European leaders for a timely and appropriate course-correction with respect to European-Israeli relations.” Kantor said.

The Sunday meeting took place against the backdrop of the EJC�s General Assembly, where dozens of leaders of Jewish communities from across Europe discussed the burning issues affecting their communities, such as the legal status of ritual slaughtering (shehita) in the continent, anti-Semitism, demography shifts, the uprisings in the Arab world, which are changing the demographic balance in Europe, and the Iranian nuclear threat.

The GA called in its resolutions for an investigation into the funding of NGOs in the Middle East, and to ensure that EU resources are not used to contribute to the spreading of hate and violence in the region.

Another resolution called upon the EU governments and EU commission to adopt a law that prohibits boycotts of any democratic country, similar to the existing French law from 1977 to that effect. The GA also condemned the recent decision by the government of Poland not to carry out its restitution commitments to Jewish victims of World War II by passing relevant legislation.

“We are witnessing dramatic changes in the world, in which uncertainty and instability is prevailing,” Kantor said.

�Europe needs to be prepared for these changes and enunciate a policy of what I call Secured Tolerance. Europe needs to exercise tolerance, but bolster this tolerance with the security of basic rights, that of freedom and life.�

Source: Jerusalem Post

European Jews Seek Help in Anti-Shechita Law

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The Dutch parliament is set to debate a bill prohibiting the slaughter of animals in the Netherlands that have not been stunned.

Jewish communities in Europe are galvanizing their political clout and reaching out to whoever might help to prevent looming legislation that could seriously harm their right to conduct ritual slaughter of animals.

The Dutch parliament is set to debate next week a bill prohibiting slaughtering animals in the Netherlands that have not been stunned, which would include Jewish shechita and the Muslim halal methods. The European Parliament is set to debate a number of new amendments to the EU’s draft Food Information Regulation next week, which will raise the possibility of labeling all meat slaughtered using the Jewish or Muslim methods. Such labeling, it is feared, would have devastating effects on the kosher meat industry.

Jewish law dictates that an animal about to be slaughtered “has to be fit and healthy and capable of independent life,” as Dr. Stuart Rosen wrote in a 2004 article defending shechita – defined there as “a perfectly clean incision through the structures at the front of the neck” – that appeared in the British Veterinary Association’s The Veterinary Record. Stunning � which can be done mechanically by dealing a blow to the animal�s head with a captive bolt pistol; with a large electrical discharge to the head; or through narcosis induced by making the creatures breathe carbon dioxide- enriched air � directly damages the animal�s nervous system.

As such, it would become �unfit for Shechita because of an existing injury or abnormality,� Rosen explained.

While killing animals to consume their meat is permitted in Europe, the EU�s directive �European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter� generally requires stunning before slaughter. Still, it lets member states allow exemptions for religious slaughter in light of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which provides for the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

The only member of the EU to ban shechita to date is Sweden; Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, which are not part of the EU, have banned it as well, as per data provided by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.

The potential shechita crisis was one of the central topics on the itinerary of the European Jewish Congress�s General Assembly, held Sunday in Budapest. Last week, EJC President Moshe Kantor expressed his concern over the Dutch bill in a letter to The Netherlands� Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Dutch bill, put forth by a proanimal rights party and supported by politician Geert Wilders, who is not considered hostile to the local Jewish community, would also affect the widely unregulated halal practice in the country.

�While the proposed law suggests that two million animals are slaughtered according to religious tradition every year in Holland, our records indicate that Jewish slaughter rarely exceeds a couple of thousand animals annually. So this law would only infringe on and single out the rights of a very small minority and have little effect on the vast majority of religious slaughter in The Netherlands,� Kantor wrote.

The EJC also appealed to every Dutch parliamentarian and ambassador in Europe.

Kantor met Sunday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is also the current president of the Council of the European Union.

�Orban said he�d appeal to the president of the EU Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, to do what he could to prevent harming the Jewish community of Europe by prohibiting shechita,� Kantor told The Jerusalem Post, noting that while the volume of Jewish slaughter in the Netherlands was small, such a law could create a dangerous precedent.

Kantor also stressed the importance of joint action on the topic.

�The joint efforts of the Jewish communities from around Europe are crucial here,� Kantor said. �There are not many Jews in Europe, and our strength comes from synchronized action.�

Joël Mergui, president of the Consistoire Central � the union of Jewish communities in France � who has been concentrating European efforts to protect shechita, explained in his address to the GA on the topic the financial ramifications of labeling meat taken from the bodies of animals that were not stunned.

�Most of the meat from animals slaughtered according to Jewish law � some 75 percent � does not end up being kosher, either because of the part of the livestock it is, or because health blemishes were discovered in the animal post-slaughtering, which disqualifies it,� he said.

That kind of meat ends up in the general market, and labeling would encourage its boycott, which would lead to a dramatic rise in the prices of kosher meat, he explained.

Mergui also said that Jewish slaughtering causes the animal�s relatively swift loss of consciousness due to the lack of oxygen to the brain, while various methods of stunning have their faults and do not always succeed on the first attempt.

Pro-stunning advocates contend that beginning the killing process this way is far more humane than simply cutting the animal�s throat with a very sharp blade.

Sources involved in countering the Dutch bill believe that anti-Semitism is not at the root of it; however, Shimon Cohen of Shechita UK outrightly compared the notion of marking kosher meat, as per the proposal facing the European Parliament, to the Nazi methods of setting Jews apart.

�Mr. Stevenson is picking on Jews and Muslims by saying that only their slaughter methods should be labeled. He is blatantly discriminating against our communities,� said Cohen, referring to Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, who is behind the recent proposal.

�It is the 21st-century equivalent of the yellow star, but on our food. We have our own labels for kosher meat, but we do not want the law to discriminate against us by singling us out in this way,� continued Cohen, whose organization advocates Jewish ritual slaughter.

�Mr. Stevenson is a known opponent of shechita, and he is doing all he can to sow doubts in the minds of consumers about our slaughter methods, which are in fact both legal and humane � far more humane than the electrocution, clubbing, shooting and gassing that takes place in secular slaughter,� he contended.

The question of shechita�s humaneness in comparison to other methods of killing animals seems as yet unresolved.

Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University who is considered one of the world�s leading experts on handling and welfare of livestock in slaughter plants, defended appropriately conducted shechita in an article published in the journal Meat & Poultry last year.

�I have observed that cattle held in an upright restraint device had almost no reaction to correctly done Kosher slaughter that was performed with a special long knife,� she wrote.

�The cut with the special knife appeared to not cause pain.�

In some kosher slaughterhouses, however, the animals, still conscious, are hoisted with shackles before being killed, which greatly increases their anxiety and suffering. Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger informed kosher slaughterhouses in South America last year that he would no longer permit the import of meat produced in such an inhumane manner to Israel. An alternate method, involving large brackets that hold the animal from both sides and then flip it over, is being gradually introduced instead of the shackles.

�From my observations, it appears that when good practices are used, the steer or lamb will stay still and not react to the cut,� she wrote. �For religious slaughter it is important to use a knife that is long enough to fully span the neck; keep the tip of the knife outside the neck during the cut; use a very sharp knife; and hold the wound open during the cut.�

Addressing findings of a team of New Zealand researchers that showed how slaughter without stunning causes pain, Grandin stated that the knives used in that study to kill the animals were neither as long nor as sharp as Jewish slaughter practice dictates. Additionally Grandin noted that �in properly done kosher slaughter, the wound is held open during the cut,� an action that apparently diminishes the animal�s pain, while �the methods section of the [New Zealand] paper did not contain sufficient detail to determine if the wound was held open during the cut.�

New Zealand has also recently outlawed shechita in its limits.

To Margui, himself a medical professional, there is no doubt as to the humaneness of the ancient Jewish ritual slaughter practices. He has asked various Israeli ministers, as well as Metzger, to help the Jewish European efforts by finding a major Israeli university to conduct a comparative study of the Jewish and European animal-killing methods.

�It is now time that Israel helps the Diaspora, too,� he told the Post.

Margui�s efforts to counter the European legislation include urging the various Jewish communities into action in every country, in line with the Jewish principal of mutual responsibility and the belief that the passing of one law prohibiting or hindering shechita could create a broader phenomenon.

He also is coordinating with the other group that stands to be affected by such legislation: the local Muslim community.

�We are working closely with the Muslim community of France on this, and I am in contact with my Muslim counterpart, who sees the issue eye to eye with me,� he said.

Source: JPost.com

EJC President Calls for EU Parliament to Retract Endorsement of Goldstone Report and For Upgrade of EU-Israel Relations

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor called for the European Parliament to retract its endorsement of the Goldstone Report after the author made a ‘mea culpa’ in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on Saturday.

Kantor made the call on Sunday at a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest. Hungary currently holds the European Union presidency.

In his column, Goldstone expressed regret over his eponymous UN report on Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in 2008-2009, and stated, “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.”

“It should now be clear to all that the conclusions of the Goldstone report were wrong. The European Parliament needs to correct the resulting damage that the erroneous Goldstone Report caused Israel,” said Moshe Kantor.

Kantor also called on the Hungarian president to push for an upgrade of EU-Israeli relations, which were suspended following the EU Parliament's endorsement of the Goldstone report.

�The revelations by Justice Goldstone that his conclusions were incorrect should prompt European leaders for a timely and appropriate course-correction with respect to European-Israeli relations." Kantor added. �Only by reinforcing cooperation and bilateral relations with Israel will Europe play a more central role in the Middle East peace process.�

Leaders from Jewish communities across Europe met during the EJC General Assembly in the Hungarian capital to discuss issues and challenges facing the Jewish community in Europe and beyond.

According to the EJC, the assembly discussed many of the pressing issues of concern for European Jewry such as anti-Semitism, demography shifts, possible Shechita bans (Jewish ritual kosher slaughter), the threat of nuclear Iran and the uprisings in the Arab world and their implications.

�We are witnessing dramatic changes in the world, in which uncertainty and instability is prevailing,� Kantor said of the current events across the globe.

Source: European Jewish Press