EU Jewish leader calls on european governments to immediately grant citizenship to remaining hostages after hamas set to release 50 dual-nationals

Last week EJA hosted  delegation to Auschwitz of school principals and teachers from across Europe. After many years of bringing groups to this place, one thing has become very clear to us, the fight against antisemitism begins with education.

We cannot confront hatred without teaching its roots. We cannot expect children and young people to recognize antisemitism if they are not taught history, if they do not understand where unchecked hatred leads, if they do not know what antisemitism is. There is a saying that those who do not know their history are destined to repeat it, and the events of the past two years have shown us just how true this is.

This is exactly why we were there, to explain, to share, and to show. To stand with the people responsible for educating the next generation, to help them understand the reality we are facing today, and to ask for their partnership in ensuring that children and youth learn the history of our continent, and the history of Jewish life in Europe.

We wish to thank the school principals and teachers from across Europe who joined us for these two meaningful days of conference and the visit to Auschwitz Birkenau. Over these days we were able to speak about the realities of antisemitism, the importance of Holocaust remembrance, and the practical ways they can support the efforts to combat antisemitism today.

First Rabbi arrested since the Nazis for performing circumcision – in Ireland.

“You cannot imprison the Jewish faith” say European Jewish Association, calling for Rabbi’s immediate release.

The Chairman of the ‏European Jewish Association (EJA), Rabbi Menachem Margolin, is demanding the immediate release of a British rabbi who was arrested in Ireland for performing circumcision.

Rabbi Margolin is calling on the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, Prime Minister Simon Harris and the Speaker of the Irish Parliament to intervene for the immediate release of the certified Mohel who was arrested yesterday in Dublin, Ireland, without bail, for performing circumcision.

The certified Mohel, Rabbi Yonathan Avraham, 47 years old, father of 10 children, who works legally in England, arrived in neighboring Ireland, was arrested in a raid by the Dublin police on the house where the religious ceremony was performed. He has decades of experience, has performed circumcision all over Europe and is recognised as leading expert and practitioner of this important rite.

“circumcision is not a crime but a commandment practiced by the Jewish religion for more than 3000 years said Rabbi Margolin.

The last time anybody was arrested for performing circumcision was under the Nazis, whose first laws in their blind and irrational hatred of the Jewish people targeted this practice. That the Irish legal system is now second to Nazi germany is a sad and incongruous indictment.

Circumcision has been adopted by other religions and recognized as a practice by the World Health Organization, which recommends in many cases the circumcision of boys. About thirty percent of the men in the world – and not only Jews, are circumcised and live healthy lives,” notes Rabbi Margolin.

The chairman of the ‏European Jewish Association stated that the arrest sends a clear message that Jews are no longer welcome in Ireland and demands that the Mohel be released even before Shabbat begins on Friday evening.

“The arrest not only infringes the fundamental right of freedom of religion but it also humiliates the parents involved by suggesting that they do not really care for their children. All those parents who circumcised their children, went through the same procedure themselves and of course they would not have done so if it involved “physical or mental harm to the newborn, above all a mohel such as Rabbi Yonathan goes through many, many years of study and training before even being allowed to practice. We are not barbarians!”

Rabbi Margolin appealed to the Speaker of the Irish Parliament, who at the beginning of the year was hosted by EJA at Auschwitz, to act for the immediate release of the Mohel and promote legislation that would prevent such an arrest in the future.
Rabbi Margolin also appealed to the President of the State of Israel, Yitzhak Herzog, whose grandfather served as the Chief Rabbi of Ireland, with a request that he work this morning with the heads of the Irish government for the immediate release of the Mohel

European Jewish Association (EJA) Initiates Legal Action Against Bob Vylan Following His Ancienne Belgique Performance
The European Jewish Association (EJA) has initiated legal proceedings following the 2 December performance of Bob Vylan at Ancienne Belgique, during which the artist led the crowd in chants of “Death to the IDF” and “Everybody hates the police,” while displaying a Samidoun-branded t-shirt — an organisation officially classified as terror-linked in several countries and undergoing formal designation procedures as a terrorist organisation in several additional countries where its activities have already been banned.
The investigating judge of the Brussels Court of First Instance today received the complaint filed by Belgian attorney Christophe Boeraeve and EJA legal counsel Adv. Shlomo Dahan, and authorised the opening of an investigation into Vylan’s performance for the following offences:
* Incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence;
* Dissemination of ideas based on racial hatred; assistance to a group promoting discrimination;
* Public provocation to commit a terrorist offence;
* Glorification of terrorism;
* Participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation;
* Provocation to commit offences against public authorities.
In Israel, the law requires every citizen to serve in the army, and therefore calls for the death of IDF soldiers are, by definition, understood as directed at every Israeli and every Jew.
The fact that thousands of Belgian citizens were incited and roused to call for the death of the overwhelming majority of Israelis, while hurling insults at the Belgian police, reflects a profound moral failure and a security threat that Belgian authorities must treat with utmost seriousness.
As Boeraeve and Dahan explain:
“Criticise Israeli policy as you wish. But leading thousands to call for the death of the vast majority of Israelis? That is not speech — that is pure incitement. Some might call it rock and roll — provocative performance art. But there is a line. Belgian law draws it clearly. When you lead a crowd to call for the death of people defined by their nationality, that line is crossed.”
In addition to legal action, the EJA has submitted an official complaint to UNIA, Belgium’s federal anti-discrimination authority, requesting that it investigate the incident and consider public and legal measures in response to the incitement witnessed.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the EJA, stated:
“Freedom of expression is a pillar of democracy. We recognise it and we defend it. But when an artist leads thousands to chant for the death of others, when hostility toward law enforcement becomes normalised — a red line has been crossed. Belgian law marks that line clearly. Silence is not neutrality — it is complicity. We have initiated legal action and filed an official complaint with UNIA. We now expect the authorities to act. What occurred at Ancienne Belgique is not only a moral lapse — it is a threat to Jewish communities and to Belgian society as a whole, and it demands a firm response.”

As Queen Elizabeth II is laid to rest following seven decades of public service, the EJA welcomes the ascendancy of King Charles III to the throne. As Prince of Wales, Charles was a great friend of British Jewry, familiar and respectful of our faith and customs and above all deeply supportive of our communities. As King Charles III stewards the UK forwards into a new era, we wish him strength, fortitude and health.