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Holocaust Memorial to Become Official EP Event. No room for anti-Semitism in the EU, declares EP President

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

European Coalition for Israel

It all started nine years ago in January 2005, when the European Coalition for Israel, together with MEP Hannu Takkula, hosted the first Holocaust Remembrance Day event in the European Parliament in Brussels, to honour victims of the Holocaust. On Tuesday night, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, announced that International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been declared an official European Parliament event which will continue to be commemorated in the European Parliament, regardless of who is president. The EP presidency rotates every five years, but has in latter years been divided into two and half year periods. All the last three presidents have been personally committed to honouring the victims of the Holocaust, but there are other elected members who are more critical.

”There is no room for anti-Semitism in the European Union” Schulz stated on Tuesday night at the 9th Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day in the European Parliament. He added: There are those elected members, in national parliaments, as well as in the European Parliament, who call the Holocaust a myth or a detail of history, but they are a small minority.

”The great majority of the elected members will not tolerate open denial of the Shoah. If that happens we will simply point them to the door”, he promised in his speech.

Last year President Schulz announced that his first effort as president was to ban Holocaust denial in the European Parliament.

Whereas the President of the European Parliament focused on the rise of anti-Semitism and intolerance in Europe, the Jewish speakers also expressed their concern over the current nuclear threat to Israel.

”We cannot tolerate the fact that a lunatic who denies the very existence of the Holocaust can acquire a nuclear bomb”, said Dr. Samuel Pisar, renowned international lawyer, Holocaust survivor and Special Envoy to UNESCO. Pisar was making reference to the Iranian leader and infamous Holocaust denier, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

”Within one year, this dictator is expected to have nuclear capabilities”, warned Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress.

He went on to say that ”this is neither 1933 (the rise to power of Hitler) nor 1942 (the year of the Wannsee Conference) but 1929 - the year of the Great Depression.

”When people are facing financial uncertainty, they start looking for scapegoats”, he said. However, Schulz seemed more optimistic.

”This is 2013, and the difference is that we now have European institutions which are committed to safeguarding the fundamental values of tolerance, dignity and respect. The great majority will not accept anti-Semitism.”

The event also honoured the Swedish diplomat and businessman, Raoul Wallenberg. He saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis at the end of the Second World War, by issuing protective passports and offering shelter in buildings designated as Swedish territory. On Tuesday, members of the family were present in the European Parliament, as a conference room was named after him by President Schulz and Nane Annan, the niece of Raoul Wallenberg. Her cousin Louise von Dardel spoke about her uncle who she had never met, but admired deeply. She made a direct appeal to the European Parliament to make a formal request to the Russian authorities for an inquiry into what actually happened to Wallenberg after he disappeared in Budapest at the end of the war. Several speakers mentioned the fate of Wallenberg as an example of the fact that you cannot defeat evil - Nazism - with another form of evil, namely Communism. Raoul Wallenberg was last seen in 1945 in the company of Soviet officials.

In a private interview with ECI, President Schulz urged civil society organisations such as ECI, to work with the European Parliament to raise awareness of the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe.

The Holocaust Memorial in the European Parliament was the first event of the week with ECI as one of the co-organisers. In the next few days, there will be similar ECI events in Berlin, Munich and Auschwitz, where ECI Chairman, Harald Eckert, is taking part. The ECI-sponsored exhibition by Perry Trotter, “Shadows of Shoah”, will be officially launched at a high-profile national event on Friday in Auckland, New Zealand. Additional events are planned across Europe as well as in Japan, Africa and North America.

For the past eight years, ECI has called upon churches and faith communities in Europe and beyond, to honour the victims of the Holocaust in their Sunday services nearest to the 27th. This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked on January 27th. Shadows of Shoah is the work of New Zealand artist Perry Trotter. Using black and white imagery and original music, survivors´ experiences are presented in a brief but compelling format. Shadows of Shoah is a powerful and evocative piece of art, while carefully maintaining historical accuracy. The on-line exhibition can be viewed on

Martin Schulz Stresses Importance of Binding Annual Shoah Commemoration in the European Parliament

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Press

European Parliament President Martin Schulz on Tuesday stressed the importance of an annual binding commemoration of the Shoah by the EU institution.

Speaking in Brussels at the first ever official ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Schulz said: “The Shoah is a tragedy for all the Jewish communities of Europe and for Europe itself. It is therefore appropriate that this initiative to annually commemorate the victims of the Shoah in the European Parliament is a joint initiative of the elected representatives of Europe’s citizens gathered in this institution with the official representatives of Europe’s Jewish communities gathered under the representative umbrella of the European Jewish Congress."

“My presence here this evening together with EJC President. Moshe Kantor, stands testimony to our collective commitment as European citizens to work together so that never again will such barbarism and intolerance befall our continent," he added.

"Europe is existing every day, every moment, therefore we must be vigilant and prudent every day and every moment. Mutual respect, Respect for individual rights, respect for the right of everybody, the decent treatment to be respected as an individual, whatever country he comes from, or his political tendencies or to which religion he belongs, the basic element must always be respedct for the individual. The experience of Europe in the first half of the 20th century was this total ignorance, total absence of respect."

The theme of the commemoration was a tribute to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising fighters, whose struggle took place 70 years ago, and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust.

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor spoke about the shame in the political rise of fascist and neo-Nazi parties in Europe.

“From the late 1920’s all the way through to the gas chambers of Auschwitz, most of Europe chose to excuse the fact that populations facing economic hardship could be bought off by scapegoating minorities, by turning inwards to the hatred of the other,” Kantor told the audience of MEPs, ambassadors and members of the Jewish community. “This all sounds too familiar.”

“Today, amid economic turbulence on this continent, national parliaments contain increasing numbers of racists and anti-Semites. And it is to the immense shame of all of us that this European Parliament also contains such people," Kantor added.

Alan Shatter, Irish Minister of Justice, Equality and Defence, whose country chairs the rotating EU presidency, also related to the new wave of racism and anti-Semitism in Europe.

"We must not ignore the increase in anti-Semitism in Europe, the violence against individuals simply because they are Jewish, and the corrosive rise in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric by amalign minority of politicians in some EU Member States," he said.

"It is a moral imperative that we unequivocally repudiate the reprehensible rhetoric of those who seek to contaminate our political discourse andf attempt to inflame dangerous prejudice".

He continued, “The Shoah did not begin in the death camps – it began with words of hate. Those words of hate became weapons of mass murder because good people closed their doors and window shutters and remained silent.”

The event was also addressed by Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission, Samuel Pisar, Honorary Ambassador and Special Envoy of UNESCO for Holocaust and genocide education and Prof Władysław Bartoszewski, Polish Secretary of State and the Plenipotentiary of the Prime Minister for International Dialogue.

A room in the European Parliament was named after Raoul Wallenberg, in the prssence of members of Wallenberg’s family and Holocaust survivors.

"Rarely has a European made such a major, such manifest and such difficult contributions to the service of mankind. The room in the European Parliament reminds us of Wallenberg’s magnificient courage for a just cause when facing the risk of losing one’s own life," said Martin Schulz.

‘Jews Live In Fear in Europe’, European Parliament President Says

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Haaretz

European Union established 'on the lessons of Auschwitz' as a framework for 'mutual control to avoid one member passing uncontrollably in a dangerous direction', Martin Schultz says

Jewish people are living in fear in Europe but the European Union will make sure they are not harmed, the president of the European Parliament said.

“Yes, Jewish people are living in fear in Europe but this is not 1929, this is 2012,” European Parliament President Martin Schultz has said Jan. 22 during a speech about anti-Semitism which he delivered at the European Parliament during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust victims.

He added that the European Union was established “on the lessons of Auschwitz” as a framework for “mutual control to avoid one member passing uncontrollably in a dangerous direction.”

Schultz, who spoke at the European Parliament’s first official ceremony in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, was replying to an earlier address by European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor, who said: “This is not 1943, but it could well be 1929, with extremists marching in the street and into parliament.”

“I am warning Europe again, wake up immediately and limit your tolerance to racism and anti-Semitism,” Kantor added, citing a 2012 European study in which 63 percent of Hungarian respondents and 17 percent of British ones affirmed anti-Semitic views. Kantor also cited a 50 percent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in France in 2012 and political gains by two virulently anti-Semitic parties: Golden Dawn in Greece and Jobbik in Hungary.

These developments, as well as “Iran’s determined advance toward obtaining and delivering nuclear weapons” made 2012 “a time of gathering storm clouds” for Jews, Kantor said.

Over the past seven years, the European Parliament has hosted annually ceremonies which Jewish groups organized to commemorate the Jan. 27 Holocaust Memorial Day, the day in 1945 that Russian troops liberated Auschwitz. The Jan. 22 ceremony was, however, the first since the memorial day's incorporation this month into the European Union’s official calendar. Schultz said the move represented “a binding agreement” to commemorate the event together with the European Jewish Congress and other Jewish groups.

The event focused on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, “the most tragic and most heroic event of the Shoah and the first armed rebellion by Jews in German occupied Europe,” as it was termed by Samuel Pisar, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor and UNESCO honorary ambassador, who also spoke at the event.

EU Places Holocaust Memorial Day on Its Official Calendar

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Press Display

The European Union has incorporated International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, into its official calendar.

President of the European Jewish Congress Moshe Kantor, gesturing during an interview with Reuters, has called the EU’s creation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day ‘a strong message against anti-Semitism.’

“It is an honor for the institution that I lead to mark this day in such a dignified manner,” Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, said ahead of the ceremony, which for practical reasons is scheduled to take place in Brussels on January 22.

For the past few years, the European Jewish Congress has noted the remembrance day with a ceremony at the European Parliament featuring EU speakers and guests. However, this year it was placed formally on the EU calendar.

“With the political gains of the far-right and neo-Nazi parties in European parliaments, the fact that this event is warmly embraced by the most prominent European institutions sends a strong message against hate, racism and anti-Semitism,” said Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, who will be opening the ceremony next week.

The theme of the event is a tribute to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising fighters of 70 years ago.

In addition, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom will officiate at the inauguration of a new room at the European Parliament bearing the name of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

January 27, the date in 1945 that Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp, was designated as a memorial day at the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.

European Parliament to Mark Int'l Holocaust Day

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Jerusalem Post

Jewish congress head Moshe Kantor "delighted important event now on official calendar" in coordination with the EJC.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) and the European Parliament will hold the first annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day Event in Brussels on Tuesday.

The entrance of this event into the official European Union calendar is due to the cooperation and coordination between the EJC and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Dr. Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, will open the event.

“I am delighted that, with our partners in the European Parliament, we have managed to place such an important event on the official EU calendar,” Kantor said.

“Holocaust memorialization is a massive undertaking, not least in a time when Holocaust survivors are becoming fewer and anti- Semitism and intolerance is rising.”

“Furthermore,” he said, “with the political gains of the far-right and neo-Nazi parties in European parliaments, the fact that this event is warmly embraced by the most prominent European institutions sends a strong message against hate, racism and anti-Semitism.”

Schulz will also speak at the event, along with Maros Sefcovic, vice president of the European Commission, Alan Shatter, Irish minister for Justice, Equality and Defense, Samuel Pisar, honorary ambassador and special envoy of UNESCO for Holocaust and Genocide Education and Prof. Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Polish secretary of state and the plenipotentiary of the prime minister for international dialogue.

“I am deeply touched that we are commemorating the International Holocaust Remembrance Day in the European Parliament once more, a location that is highly symbolic of peace and reconciliation between former arch-enemies,” said Schulz.

“It is an honor for the institution that I lead to mark this day in such a dignified manner.

“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: Never again!” The theme of the event is a tribute to the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, whose struggle took place 70 years ago, and to Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

A new room in the European Parliament in honor of Wallenberg will be inaugurated by Cecilia Malmström, the EU commissioner for Home Affairs.

The event will be attended by MEPs, ambassadors to the European Union, other highlevel dignitaries, Holocaust survivors and members of Wallenberg’s family.

Kantor is expected to speak at the event about the greater need for combatting racism and intolerance, and will draw a parallel between the situation today and the 1920s and ’30s in Europe before the rise of Nazism.

“From the late 1920s all the way through to the gas chambers of Auschwitz, most of Europe chose to excuse the fact that populations facing economic hardship could be bought off by scapegoating minorities, by turning inwards to the hatred of the other,” Kantor said. “This all sounds too familiar.

“Today, amid economic turbulence on this continent, national parliaments contain increasing numbers of racists and anti-Semites.

And it is to the immense shame of all of us that this European Parliament also contains such people.”

For the First Time the European Parliament Will Hold Next Week an Official Ceremony to Mark International Holocaust Day

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Press

European Parliament President, Martin Schulz, has decided to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Day as part of the EU institution’s official ceremonies.

The first such ceremony will be held on January 22 at the EU parliament seat in Brussels.

In a letter sent to Rabbi Avi Tawil, President of the European Jewish Community Center (EJCC), who has initiated for the past 7 years an annual event at the parliament, Martin Schulz promised that the European Parliament “ is committed to the perpetuation of the Holocaust commemoration and to the promotion of democracy and human rights.”

Although it was not considered as official until now, this annual commemoration was attended by various personalities from the European parliament and other EU bodies.

"The commemoration of the Holocaust and its lessons is essential not only for the Jewish community but for all people in Europe and the entire world. Unfortunately, we are witnessing an alarming rise in popularity of hate groups across Europe as a consequence of the financial crisis,” Rabbi Tawil said in a statement.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, General Director of the European Jewish Association (EJA), thanked President Schulz for his efforts to promote the lessons of the Holocaust. "The European institutions have the responsibility to increase education toward tolerance in all EU member states. Education is the key to preventing the reoccurrence of such acts of horror,” he said.

He also praised Rabbi Tawil for his devotion and contribution to the commemoration of the Holocaust in the European institutions and expressed his appreciation for the European Jewish Congress’ efforts in executing the ceremonies in the past two years.

EU Places Holocaust Memorial on Official Calendar

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0700

The Times of Israel

Commemoration will honor the Warsaw ghetto uprising and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.

The European Union has incorporated International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jan. 27, into its official calendar.

The theme of the event is a tribute to the Warsaw ghetto uprising fighters of 70 years ago.

Jan. 27, the date in 1945 when Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp, was designated as a memorial day at the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.

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

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

European Jewish Press

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.".

UN, Israel Lead Condemnation of France School Killings

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

AFP

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.

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 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.

"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.

"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.

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

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

World Jewish Congress

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."

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

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

The International Business Times

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.

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

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

JTA

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."

Four Reported Dead In Shooting at Jewish School in France

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

Cleveland Jewish News

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."

The World Observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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

Jspace.com

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."

Holocaust Remembrance Day Marked At European Parliament in Brussels

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

World Jewish Congress

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."

European Parliament Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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

Ynetnews

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.

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

European Jewish Press

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."

International Holocaust Remembrance Day to Be Marked Next Week in the European Parliament

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Press

International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates every year the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp (27 January 1945), will be marked next Tuesday in the European Parliament in Brussels during a special event.

This event is co-organized by the European Jewish Congress (EJC) and several organizations including B’nai B’rith, the European Council of Jewish Communities, the Conference of European Rabbis, the European Jewish Community Center and European Coalition for Israel.

The new President of the European Parliament, German Martin Schulz will make the opening remarks at this event which will also be attended by Israel’s Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, Gabriel Bach, who was prosecutor in the Adolf Eichmann trial, Holocaust survivors, Rigtheous Among the Nations, as well as EU officials and ambassadors.

Belgium Design Duo Alters Holocaust-Themed Fence

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

The Jerusalem Post

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.

International Holocaust Memorial Day Marked By Unique Event in the European Parliament in Brussels

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0700

European Jewish Press

The Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, in cooperation with the presidency of the European Parliament, the European Jewish Congress and the Holocaust Memorial of Yad Vashem, holds on Tuesday in Brussels an event to mark International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

This event, the first of its kind, will take place at the European Parliament.

January 27 marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp

Israeli Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor and Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, will be among the participants.

As part of the program, memorial candles will be lit by Jewish Holocaust survivors from Europe and Israel.

The main feature of the event will be a unique concert by the Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra in order to present its special Holocaust memorial program titled "Alma Rose – from Vienna to Auschwitz."

The musical program tells the story of Alma Rose, a composer and conductor who established an orchestra in Auschwitz and died there in 1944.

A member of the orchestra will play a special violin that belonged to a Jew who died at Auschwitz and which remains as a symbol of the culture of humanity amidst the horror.

European Jewish Leader to Warn Against Re-Emergence of ‘Extremist Forces’ In Europe

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Imams, Rabbis in Brussels to Improve Muslim-Jewish Ties

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Jerusalem Post

A delegation of Muslim and Jewish religious leaders from Europe met with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels on Monday to share their initiatives for bettering the relations between the communities, as well as legislation to ensure the rights of the religious groups in Europe.

The meeting with the president was part of a daylong gathering of some 50 city and state rabbis and imams from Western Europe, brought together for panel discussions on the condition, but primarily the future, of relations between Muslims and Jews in Europe, in a joint effort by the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU), the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the European Jewish Congress (EJC).

EJC head Moshe Kantor stressed in his opening remarks how education was a key element in bringing about reconciliation between the groups, and how legislation was key in ensuring tolerance toward minority groups. Kantor, who brought The Jerusalem Post to the event, reiterated his call for EU countries’ need to immediately adopt the Framework Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia.

Since the condition of the relations between the faith groups differ from country to country, imams and rabbis from the UK, France, Germany and Italy presented, in turn, the key issues and action they were taking to face the challenges of their specific communities.

Such challenges are influenced by endless factors, such as the backgrounds of their flocks, their socioeconomic standings and the degree of integration into mainstream society.

Later, the participants attended a kosher-halal working lunch with senior officials at the European Commission, and met with Van Rompuy, who expressed his support for the group’s efforts and called for a “revolution of moderation” in religious communities in Europe.

In a private meeting with Van Rompuy, Kantor expressed his concern over the condition of some Jewish communities, such as Malmö, Sweden, where Jews are feeling forced to leave the city.

“If Jews are being driven out of parts of Europe once again, this does not bode well for the future of the continent,” Kantor, who co-chairs the European Council for Tolerance and Reconciliation, told the president.

He also suggested that the EU impose on its members and officials a code of behavior that would sanction those who made anti-Semitic and racist remarks.

In addition, Kantor called on the EU to end the freeze on its upgrade in relations with Israel.

“If we hope to live in a free and peaceful world, we need to bolster the only democracy in the Middle East, especially at a time when its mere presence is challenged,” he said, referring to the threats from Iran.

Before the day wrapped up with Hanukka candle-lighting and a dinner with the Brussels Diplomatic Corps, the draft of a common statement calling for closer cooperation between the two communities in Europe was presented. The statement expressed a wish to put an end to “the mutual fear and resentment precipitated in large part by the conflict in the Middle East, which all too often in recent years has caused violence between members of our two communities.”

This campaign of interfaith dialogue and understanding, the statement continued, “will strengthen the forces of moderation in both communities and serve as a check to voices preaching extremism and violence, that are a danger to the moderate majorities in both communities, and to our efforts to build a united, free and pluralistic future for Europe,” while taking steps “to ensure that Jews and Muslims are able to practice our respective faiths fully and unimpeded by intrusive, discriminatory and unfair governmental regulations.”

It concluded, “We commit ourselves to successfully developing good Muslim-Jewish relations in our communities and across Europe, thereby showing our two peoples and the larger societies in which we live that Muslims and Jews can live and work together fruitfully for the betterment of all.”

FFEU President and WJC Vice President Rabbi Marc Schneier called Monday’s event “a promising beginning.”

“Today, we have hopefully kick-started a movement that will spread across Europe,” he said. “The recipe really is quite simple: Our two communities must focus more on what unites us than what separates us. We also must restrain the radicals within our own ranks and make sure they don’t gain the upper hand.”

Schneier also noted the great importance of the different religious groups expressing empathy with one another, noting as a moving example the prayers that Imam Dr. Abduljalil Sajid, chairman of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, offered in his address for the victims of the recent forest fire in the Carmel.

As one of the participants said, “there is definitely room for hope. Five years ago, a meeting such as today’s would never have taken place.”