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Highlights from Sebastian Kurz's Keynote Speech on EU-Israel Relations and Jewish Life in Europe
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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...
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...
Making Ignorance a Virtue
McGill University’s student government condemned a Jewish student leader for accepting an invitation to travel to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, but said nothing about his fellow student who isn’t Jewish. The victims of BDS, it seems, are the students and the state of higher education in North America, argues AJC’s Global Director of Young Leadership Seffi Kogen in The Forward. After all, when it comes to Israel, “illiteracy becomes a virtue, and students who seek to learn are ostracized and shamed.”
Is Denying Israel’s Right to Exist Antisemitic?
Who better to weigh in on antisemitism than Jews? AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Daniel Elbaum presents in The Times of Israel AJC’s just-released landmark survey of U.S. Jews: 84% believe the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is indeed antisemitic. Over 80% said the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movement is mostly antisemitic or has antisemitic supporters.
How can Europe Help Prevent the Next Middle East War?
When Iran’s proxy Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets on Israel, Jerusalem’s measured response helped prevent the conflict spin out of control. To discuss how EU diplomacy can help prevent a future Middle East war with mass civilian casualties, host Michael Sieveking is joined by MEP Lukas Mandl, who had just returned from a visit to the region, and Brigadier General (Res.) Assaf Orion, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.
AJC Concerned over BDS Boost from EU Court’s Labeling Decision, Calls for Deeper EU-Israel Ties
Brussels - 12 November 2019 - The AJC Transatlantic Institute regrets today’s EU Court of Justice decision mandating the labeling of Israeli foodstuffs produced beyond the Green Line. The ruling will likely be instrumentalized by those who seek to delegitimize the Jewish state, which is why it...
Can Europe Help End the UN’s Obsession with Israel?
Every year, the UN Human Rights Council systematically singles out the Jewish state under Item 7 while often turning a blind eye on the world’s most egregious human rights abusers. To discuss this deep flaw undermining the multilateral system and what Europe can do to rectify it, Counterpoint host Daniel Schwammenthal is joined by Israel’s envoy to the EU Aharon Leshno Yaar, who was previously posted in Geneva, and Željana Zovko, Croatian member of the EU Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
UN Finally Confronts Antisemitism
A first in the world body’s history, a UN human rights expert issued a report dealing exclusively with antisemitism. Writing in The Times of Israel, Felice Gaer, head of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute, praised the historic report for confronting antisemitism as a human rights problem. It urges all UN countries to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, including Holocaust denial and the rejection of Israel’s right to exist.