The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will celebrate Chanukah on Monday 19 December  by lighting the flame on a large menorah in front of the European Commission’s headquarters in the Brussels EU quarter.

As part of the cultural agenda of Brussels, the city’s Mayor Philippe Close will light the second candle of Chanukah.

The event is  seen as a strong sign for the European Jewish community in the wake of the EU’ clear commitment to ensuring a Jewish future and fostering Jewish life as laid out in the EU Commission’s new strategy for combatting resurgent antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in Europe.

European ambassadors and civil servants are expêcted to attend the event.

The lighting, which is organized in partnership with the European Jewish Association and the City of Brussels, will take place on Monday at 18:00 on Schuman Square and will be followed by a concert from the singer Haim Tzvi.

Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, is one of the most popular Jewish holidays worldwide. Candles are lit over 8 days to remember the miracle of one day’s worth of oil lasting eight following the reconsecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. Its message of hope, light and emancipation resonates are universal and timely. Celebrations worldwide are attended by heads of states who often light their own candles.

In addition to Monday’s lighting, Chanukah will also be celebrated the next day in the European Commission with the presence of the European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, honoring Hias Europe, the world’s oldest refugee organisation, first established in the 1880s to help Russian Jews fleeing from pogroms resettle in the United States. Since then, HIAS Europe has had a strong presence throughout Europe, resettling hundreds of thousands of European Jews fleeing from violence and conflict. Today, HIAS Europe is a global humanitarian organization with thousands of employees in 22 countries dedicated to helping forcibly displaced persons, irrespective of their background. During more than a century of activity, HIAS Europe has helped more than 4.5 million people escape persecution worldwide »

EuroChanukah is organised every year by the European Jewish Community Centre (EJCC).

אירוע אנטישמי בקרואטיה: תלמידים מבית ספר יהודי בצרפת שיצאו למחנה קיץ במלון בעיירה טרילז’ שבקרואטיה, הלכו לישון ביום שני בלילה ונדהמו לגלות כשקמו למחרת בבוקר צלב קרס ענק בצבע אדום שרוסס על כיכר גדולה שנשקפת מחלונות חדריהם.

איגוד הקהילות היהודיות באירופה העביר את המידע לשגרירות ישראל וכן לממשל הקרואטי שפתח בחקירות האירוע.

גורם רשמי קרואטי אף הגיע להתנצל בפני הילדים ותוגברה משמעותית האבטחה על הילדים שחלקם חש בחרדה רבה בעקבות המקרה.

יו”ר איגוד הארגונים היהודים באירופה, הרב מנחם מרגולין, הגיב לאירוע ואמר: “הילדים התעוררו וראו צלב קרס אדום ענק, סמל הכאב והרצח ליהודים בכל מקום, שאומר בבירור – אתם לא רצויים כאן. זה הצלב הבוער, הלולאה סביב העץ ליהודים. החופשה הזאת עבור הילדים האלה תהיה עכשיו חופשה בלתי נשכחת, מהסיבות הלא נכונות. אף על פי שאני בטוח שדעותיהם של האחראים לציור צלב קרס ענקי אינן מייצגות את הרוב המכריע של הקרואטים, תקיפה זו מסמלת עדיין כאב עמוק ליהודים בכל מקום”.

“המלחמה באנטישמיות באירופה עדיין בעיצומה. ההתקפה הזו היא תזכורת לכך שלעולם לא נוכל להרשות לעצמנו להיות שאננים ולאפשר לנגיף האנטישמיות להתפשט ללא בקרה”, הוסיף.

Le président de l’Association juive européenne, le rabbin Menachem Margolin, a déclaré : “Ce seront des vacances et une expérience inoubliables pour ces enfants, pour toutes les mauvaises raisons… un rappel que nous ne pouvons jamais devenir complaisants ou baisser notre garde quand il s’agit d’antisémitisme”.

Un groupe d’écoliers juifs français en vacances dans un hôtel de la ville de Trilj, près de Split, en Croatie, s’est réveillé lundi en découvrant une croix gammée géante barbouillée sur le trottoir en face de leur hôtel.

L’Association juive européenne (EJA), basée à Bruxelles, a été informée de cet acte clairement antisémite par son représentant en Croatie, Romano Bolkovic, qui a contacté les bureaux du Premier ministre, du Président et des ministres des Affaires étrangères et de l’Intérieur croates, et a informé l’ambassadeur d’Israël.

La police mène actuellement une enquête sur cet incident.

“C’est une honte absolue. Si je suis certain que les opinions de l’individu et du groupe responsables de la peinture d’une croix gammée géante ne sont pas représentatives de la grande majorité des Croates, l’acte et la nature de cette attaque – car c’est bien de cela qu’il s’agit – restent une profonde entaille pour les Juifs du monde entier”, a commenté le président de l’EJA, le rabbin Menachem Margolin.

“En tant qu’adultes, nous sommes tristement habitués à la haine, et pourtant nous continuons à faire tout ce que nous pouvons pour en protéger nos enfants. Qu’un groupe d’enfants juifs français en vacances en Croatie ait eu une introduction aussi vicieuse et visible à cette haine est tragique.”’

”Les vacances de ces enfants seront désormais inoubliables, pour toutes les mauvaises raisons”, a-t-il ajouté.

Le Rabbin Margolin a conclu, ”Bien que je sois confiant que la police fera toute la lumière sur cet incident, et bien que les mots forts de condamnation venant des plus hautes fonctions en Croatie soient un réconfort, nous avons encore beaucoup de travail à faire contre l’antisémitisme. Cette attaque nous rappelle que nous ne pouvons jamais nous permettre d’être complaisants et de baisser la garde”.

While European Commissionner for Neighbourjhood Policy Oliver Várhelyi, told a conference in Brussels on Tuesday that EU taxpayers’ money should not be used to fund antisemitic activities and incitement to hatred, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on the same day that that EU funds for Palestine would be unlocked after “difficulties” were overcome.

“As Team Europe, we are the largest donor in Palestine, with around EUR 600 million per year,” von der Leyen said at a press conference following a meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah.

“I am very glad to announce that the EU funds for 2021 can be disbursed rapidly. All the difficulties are gone, we have made clear that the disbursement will take place,” she said.

The EU gave the green light to funding for the Palestinian Authority on Monday, as von der Leyen arrived for a two-day visit to the Middle East.

‘’It is important to have this EU funding to support the people, especially the most vulnerable. It also helps create the right conditions for economic opportunities,’’ she added.

Twenty-six out of 27 EU member states backed a proposal to remove conditionality on funding for the Palestinian Authority. Only Hungary opposed.

Hungarian Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi blocked the funding last year, arguing it should be contingent on changes to the content of Palestinian textbooks which have antisemitic content and incite to hatred.

In  May, the European Parliament condemned the Palestinian Authority  for the third consecutive year for its abuse of EU funding used to draft and teach new violent and hateful textbooks ‘’worse than previous editions.’’

At the conference organised Tuesday by the European Jewish Association in the European Parliament, Várhelyi stressed that ‘’it is our credibility to fight any form of antisemitism therefore, incitement to hatred, violence and terror.’’

‘’What starts with incitement to hatred and violence becomes terror. And prevents coexistence,’’ he added, withiout specifically mentioning the Palestinian textbooks.

‘’Incitement not only poisons the minds of children, but also cements the view in many that there is no prospect for peace and a solution of the conflict,’’ the Commissioner said.

‘’The EU cannot be a credible actor neither in Europe nor in the Middle East and beyond if we do not deliver on these fundamental commitments,’’ he said.

He added, ‘’Regretfully, antisemitism is on the rise in Europe and across the world.
What is even more troubling is that even fundamental commitments in the EU for this fight seem to be weakening, if not disappearing. One might never have anticipated that the fight against antisemitism will be negotiable in Europe. Or even worse, be taken over by other considerations when certain decisions are made. Standing up against antisemitism should never become a question of majorities.’’

‘’For me, there can be no compromise and no discount on these fundamental principles. It must be non-negotiable.’’

‘’You can count on my personal dedication and firm commitment to deliver on these principles. We are working hard to translate this commitment into real actions on the ground, to make an impact and deliver real results,’’ Várhelyi concluded.

Israel’s Minister for Immigration and Absorption, Pnina Tamano Shata, who spoke at te conference, also addressed the challenge of rising antisemitism and terror. ‘’The European Union has the responsibility to take all necessary steps to counter all forms of antisemitism, whether from the far right or from the far left, where it is often disguised as anti-Zionism. A native of Ethiopia, the minister underlined the role played by Israel in helping refugees from Ukraine feel at home.

“The State of Israel, from its very founding, has always been a nation of immigrants and refugees.the State of Israel was established as the State of the Jewish People, many of whom arrived as refugees in the last century after war world tow ,many of them survived the Holocaust. In fact, it was these immigrants and refugees who built the state,’’ she said.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, noted that ”Israel has not only become a homeland and refuge to the Jewish People but it has also become a place of safety and refuge for people from all over the world.”

He called on Europe’s leadership not to perpetuate refugees status not in Europe, not in the Middle East a,d nowhere else in the world. Refugees need to receive assistance but also and especially tools and encouragement to take responsibility for themselves, continue their lives and contribute of themselves for the benefit others who need them,” Margolin said.

The event was hosted by MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Israel, who noted that after the Abraham Accords, which led to the normalisation of relations between Israel and several Arab countries, ”the EU and Israel could be entering into the best relationship yet.” ”We are united by our values and in our common fight against terrorism,” he said.