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Highlights from Sebastian Kurz's Keynote Speech on EU-Israel Relations and Jewish Life in Europe
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How Can Europe Help the Iranian People?
During last December’s crackdown of protests in Iran, the regime killed up to 1,500 people and imprisoned over 7,000. To discuss Europe’s reaction to the dramatic events and the Iranian people’s quest for change, Counterpoint host Daniel Schwammenthal is joined by Polish Member of the European Parliament Anna Fotyga and Middle East Analyst Mohsen Behzad Karimi.
Islamist Antisemitism Spikes in France
Writing in the French daily Le Figaro, AJC Paris director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache and Fondapol‘s head of research Victor Delage write that the AJC-Fondapol survey shows that “extreme right-wing antisemitism has not disappeared and antisemitism on the extreme left has resurfaced over the last 20 years or so, but it is Islamist antisemitism that is asserting itself most forcefully.”
Powerful Holocaust Remembrance Speech by Vice President Schinas
EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas delivered a powerful keynote address at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event co-organized by the AJC Transatlantic Institute. Seventy-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Vice President Schinas underlined Europe’s collective duty of remembering the past and fighting the current resurgence of antisemitism, including by implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.
AJC CEO David Harris on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, AJC CEO David Harris gave a stirring speech to some 150 EU officials, Members of the European Parliament, diplomats, and civil society representatives. David Harris, who is himself the son of Holocaust survivors, shared his own family’s painful history, highlighted the importance of remembering the past, and underlined the need to protect Jewish life, whether in the diaspora or in a thriving Israel.
Historic Jewish-Muslim Visit to Auschwitz
On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Mecca-based Muslim World League Secretary General Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa and AJC CEO David Harris led a groundbreaking joint visit of Muslims and Jews to Auschwitz. With 62 Muslims, including 25 prominent religious leaders from some 28 countries, the mission brought the most senior Islamic leadership delegation to ever visit a Nazi German death camp. Following a memorial prayer for the dead, Dr. Al-Issa said: “To be here, among the children of Holocaust survivors and members of the Jewish and Islamic communities, is both a sacred duty and a profound honor."
Daniel Schwammenthal Calls for EU “Diplomatic Strike” Against Iran
Speaking at a conference in the European Parliament, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal called for a “European preemptive strike, not a preemptive military strike, but a preemptive diplomatic strike.” Hosted by Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl und organized by the Brussels International Center, the event also included remarks by Ambassador Marc Otte, BIC President and Belgium Special Envoy for Syria, and Paula Yacoubian, Member of the Lebanese Parliament.
Remarks by H.E. Georgios Lakkotrypis, Minister for Energy, Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Cyprus
Hosted by the AJC Transatlantic Institute and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, H.E. Georgios Lakkotrypis, Minister for Energy, Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Cyprus, spoke to a select audience of Ambassadors, EU diplomats, and journalists. Below is the transcript of his remarks: ...
AJC Applauds European Parliament for Condemning Iran’s Deadly Crackdown on Protestors
Strasbourg, 19 December 2019 – The AJC Transatlantic Institute praised the European Parliament for condemning Iran’s brutal repression of peaceful demonstrators. Spearheaded by Polish MEP Anna Fotyga on behalf of the conservative ECR Group and backed by six of the seven political groups, the...
Can Europe Become a Middle East ‘Player’?
In 2009, the EU decided to condition any upgrade in its ties with Israel on progress in the peace process with the Palestinians and hasn't held an Association Council with the Jewish state since 2012. While peace still remains elusive, the mutually beneficial relationship has taken a hit. To discuss how the EU can become a Middle East ‘player’ - and not just a ‘payer’ - host Daniel Schwammenthal is joined by Greek MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou and AJC CEO David Harris.
AJC Commends EU Parliament’s Decision to Condemn Iran’s Brutal Crackdown on Protesters
Strasbourg, 16 December 2019 – The AJC Transatlantic Institute salutes the European Parliament’s decision to accept a proposal by the conservative ECR group to vote on a resolution on the “violent crackdown of the recent protests by Iran.” Human rights organizations estimate that the regime...