Chief rabbi says Dutch Labour Party opposed an anti-Semitism definition to woo Muslims

This morning the EJA had the pleasure to welcome a delegation led by the Mr. Sam Grundwerg, World Chairman of Keren Hayesod -UIA
We discussed in length about the different ideas and options for growth and divelopment of Jewish lives in Europe, about the chalenges Jews are facing and the rise of antisemitism.
We concluded with our shared hope of working together on all of these challenges in the upcoming year.

In a rare plea, the PA delegation asks for “slack” from the UN committee. Several of the UN experts pressed the PA on its failure to implement anti-discrimination policies, requesting proof that textbook materials had been reviewed for anti-Semitic material, and asking for explanations for Palestinian officials’ documented incitement to terrorism.

The United Nations’ anti-racism committee began a mandatory two-day review on Tuesday of the policies and practices of the Palestinian Authority, whose delegation responded by criticizing experts of the 18-member panel for asking about anti-Semitic incitement based on evidence provided by the international human rights group UN Watch, whose 32-page shadow report on Palestinian discrimination was labeled by the Palestinian Authority as “propaganda.”
Prior to their questioning of the PA, members of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination were addressed by UN Watch legal adviser Dina Rovner in a meeting with non-governmental organizations, as well as in a private briefing. Rovner highlighted the gross and systematic anti-Semitism by the PA and Hamas, as documented in a written submission by UN Watch.
It also called attention to the failure of the Palestinian delegation – headed by Ammar Hijazi, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs – to acknowledge any of this in its submissions to the world body.
“Our shadow report and presentations today exposed how the PA’s submissions to the committee completely ignored racist and discriminatory Palestinian practices, and how they tried to evade responsibility by shifting the focus of the review onto Israel,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
Notably, groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which lobbied for the Palestinians to be recognized as a state for the purpose of signing human-rights treaties saying that this would hold them to account, did not make a submission or statement for this first-ever review of the Palestinians by the UN’s anti-racism committee.
Out of the nearly 40 Palestinian human-rights groups that appeared in the same UN building when Israel was reviewed earlier this year, only one, Al-Haq, attended the Palestinian Authority’s review. This raised questions as to whether their primary focus is on improving Palestinian human rights said Neuer.
UN Watch’s detailed submission revealed that the PA and Hamas routinely violate international commitments to combating racism, through laws, policies, and statements aimed at denying any Jewish rights in Israel or the Palestinian-controlled territories.
By contrast, in its own report, the PA sought to minimize its obligations as a party to the anti-racism convention by failing to address the problem of racism in Palestinian law and society and, as the UN experts realized, instead repeatedly tried to blame Israel.
“The PA exploits the reporting process of the anti-racism committee as yet another UN vehicle to attack Israel. This is a waste of the committee’s time and resources, as Israel is subject to its own review later this year,” said Neuer.
In nearly two hours of presenting before the committee, the PA blamed Israel for its problems related to discrimination, devoting only a few minutes to its own policies and practices.
The Palestinian delegates told the committee of their life “under Israel’s racist occupation” and “the presence of apartheid,” contrasted with the PA’s alleged “commitment to work towards harmonizing legislation with the UN conventions.”
In a rare plea, the PA delegation asked for “slack” from the committee for its first-ever review. Several of the UN experts pressed the PA on its failure to implement anti-discrimination policies, requesting proof that textbook materials had been reviewed for anti-Semitic material, and asking for explanations for Palestinian officials’ documented incitement to terrorism.
The UN panel’s review of the Palestinians continued through Wednesday morning.
“We trust that the committee will continue its work to hold the PA and Hamas accountable for their flagrant violations of the UN’s convention against racism and the principles of international human rights law,” said Neuer.
The article was taken from JNS and was published on Israel Hayom

‘’These comments are extremely serious and irresponsible,” said former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls when asked about the statements made by France’s Foreign Minister Stéphane  Séjourné, who threatened Israel with sanctions unless more aid starts passing into the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with Radio France International (RFI) and France 24 television channel, Séjourné siad: “There must be levers of influence and there are multiple levers, going up to sanctions, to let humanitarian aid cross checkpoints.’’

“France was one of the first countries to propose European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers who are committing acts of violence in the West Bank. We will continue if needed to obtain the opening of humanitarian aid,” he added.

‘’I’m ashamed today of the remarks made by the head of French diplomacy,’’ Manuel Valls, who was Prime Minister from 2014 to 2016,  told CNEWS channel.

‘’ I always speak in moderation. I’ve exercised power and I know it’s difficult, but to put Hamas and Israel on the same footing. If Hamas returned the hostages, laid down its arms and its leaders surrendered or left, the war would end.  Hamas is responsible for this war, for the attack on Israelis last October 7, and for using Palestinians as human shields, he added.

‘’As for sanctions, is Israel a friendly country or not? We’re a long way from the statements made by President Macron, who was very fair the day after October 7. It’s unbearable. It’s an act of great cowardice, and we have to be careful. Because in Israel there is a debate but it is united on one objective: both to save the hostages and to put an end to the threat to Israel from the south. Threatening sanctions against a country that is on the front line against Islamism, which is also waging war against us, is highly irresponsible,’’ concluded Manuel Valls.

Despite the French Foreign Minister’sb statements, a record number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to Israel. A total of 419 trucks were inspected before entering the Palestinian territory. This is the highest number of trucks to enter Gaza in a single day since the war began on October 7. The previous record was 322 trucks, which entered the Palestinian territory on Sunday, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), in a comment posted on X. Before the war, nearly 500 trucks entered Gaza every day, according to a humanitarian source.

In February, France banned 28 Israelis from entering the European country, accusing them of attacking Arabs in Judea and Samaria.

“Settlement activity is illegal under international law and must stop. Its continuation is incompatible with the creation of a viable Palestinian State,” according to a statement from Paris at the time.

Last month, French President Emanuel Macron said that the forcible transfer of Gazans from Rafah ahead of a prospective Israeli military operation in the city would constitute a “war crime,” according to Agence France-Presse.

In November, Macron claimed during a BBC interview that Israel was killing women and children in Gaza.

“De facto—today civilians are being bombed. These babies, these women, these old people are being bombed and killed. So there is no reason for it and no legitimacy. So we do plead with Israel to stop,” the French leader said.

The remarks drew condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that Macron “made a serious mistake, factually and morally” and that “the responsibility for any harm to civilians lies with Hamas-ISIS and not with Israel.”