Major General Israel Ziv Briefing: Insights from Israel’s Military Strategist and Defence Expert

Our colleague Juan Caldes had the incredible opportunity to explore the vibrant Jewish Community of Melilla, sharing insights on combating anti-Semitism.

He also had the privilege to join the President of the Jewish community in a fruitful meeting with Vice President Miguel Marin and the Government of Melilla. Grateful for the chance to discuss important issues together!

A healthy winter!
During the war, Germans who had volunteered to join the SS and the SD and Dutch collaborators of the Nazis were buried in the municipalities where they had been killed or shot.
After the war, the municipalities where those Jew hunters and other beasts were buried no longer wanted to tolerate having these remains in their local cemeteries.
The Ministry of Defence then made a piece of land available in Ysselsteyn where they had to be reburied. That killing field in Ysselseteyn is therefore a collection bin for SS beasts, Dutch SD men, collaborators, a number of whom had been shot by the resistance, and also “ordinary” German soldiers. The person who had Anne Frank and her family deported is also buried there.
A commemoration at a cemetery where only dead “ordinary” soldiers are buried, even if they were exclusively German soldiers, is a completely different story in my view.
Commemoration there is certainly worth considering. But here in Ysselsteyn paying tribute to traitors and murderers who have voluntarily chosen to murder my family and / or have them sent to the gas chambers? No way!
And so I still signed the petition, although by nature I am not a signer. I added my name to the petition to prevent anyone from thinking that I have forgiven them for their atrocities, because it happened so long ago, because it has now become history, because the crimes are barred…. So no.
Crimes of this kind against humanity cannot and must not expire and degenerate into an old episode in history. Am I hateful then? When the question arose years ago in the Sinai Center (Jewish psychiatric centre) whether we, as a Jewish institution, would like to treat children of parents who had dome wrong, I made it clear: certainly!
We must not punish children for their parents’ mistakes and I am grateful that I was able to help those victims of the war, because they too are victims of those horrible dark years.
Their parents’ opposition to my parents makes them no less victim, no less second generation. Of course we are talking about children who suffer because their parents were “wrong” in their view. I remember a meeting in Israel of my wife with a daughter of a German SS officer. Crying that daughter and my wife embraced each other: a heartbreaking and impressive scene!
And while I was able to confirm the above information about Ysselseteyn from my car, I was on my way to The Hague together with the secretary of the NIK. An appointment with the Ambassador of Poland, Mr Marcin Czepelak. (Don’t ask me how to pronounce this name. I notice that those ambassadors from those former Eastern bloc countries all have  unpronounceable names.) It was a good and friendly conversation. It was about the impending new law that wants to ban the export of kosher meat slaughtered in Poland.
Polish Jews will be allowed to continue to slaughter kosher for domestic use, but export? That should be a bridge too far. The ambassador understood well that this is not just a practical and business problem.
He foresaw very clearly that if Poland bans exports, several EU countries will follow and in the end there will no longer be kosher meat available within the EU, not even in the Netherlands. The Ambassador was in no doubt about that. But he also felt keenly that the ban on the export of kosher meat would hurt the Jewish community in its full breadth, would deeply affect their Jewishness. Jews who never eat kosher and perhaps consider kosher food as nonsense and out of date, the ambassador himself indicated, are equally affected by this measure. Because it may be that they don’t consume kosher meat, the ban on the export of kosher meat is an assault on their Jewish identity.
And now here I am at the end of this day, writing this diary to the digital paper and hopefully still with enough puff in me to dismantle the Sukkah (booth) tonight and put it away until next year. And until then? Hopefully, peace and a very soon deliverance from the evil that is called corona and also a proper return to Jewish life in our polder country.
Even on Yom Kippur, there were Jewish congregations that did not have shul service. And this year, far fewer booths that stood near the synagogues have to be demolished. The reason? Unfortunately they were not built because of corona! At the end of all these Jewish Holidays, we wish each other, and so do I: a healthy winter!
During corona time, Chief Rabbi Jacobs keeps a diary for the Jewish Cultural Quarter. NIW publishes these special documents daily on www.niw.nl.

Humo is sold and read in Netherlands and therefore liable say both groups in a statement announcing the legal case.

Humo Magazine, and its writer Herman Brusselmans, already subject to ongoing legal proceedings in Belgium, are now facing the same pressures in the Netherlands after the principal body representing Dutch Jewry – the CJO together with the Brussels based EJA announced that they have started legal proceedings in Holland.

In a Humo article published in August, Herman Brusselmans wrote the following: “I see an image of a crying and screaming Palestinian boy that is crying inconsolably for his mother who lying under the rubble, and I imagine that the boy is my own son Roman, and the mother is my own girlfriend Lena, and I become so enraged that I want to ram a pointed knife straight into the throat of every Jew I meet.”

The article, despite horrified objections by Jews in Belgium, and indeed across the world, was allowed to remain on Humo pages, and in fact was only retracted under duress and acres of negative coverage. By then the damage had been done.

The legal proceedings have been launched in Holland as the magazine, written in Dutch, is readily available on newstands and in libraries across the country.

Chanan Hertzberger, the Chairman of the CJO, announcing the legal case against Brusselmans and Humo magazine, said in a statement:

“The antisemitic hate perpetuated by Brusselmans was cross-border, aided and abbetted by Humo magazine who acted as the courier to many thousands of readers in Holland.

“As such his antisemitic incitement to murder affects Dutch Jewry in the same way his incitement to murder affects Belgian Jewry. The irresponsibility and lack of Judgement at Humo – in light of the record rises in antisemitism across the continent since October the 7th – is astounding. Their reticence in pulling the piece, that should have been scrunched up and thrown in the editorial bin in the first place does not make them guardians of freedom of speech – as they would have it – but as willing accomplices. This cannot stand. And we at the CJO will not allow it to stand.”

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the Chairman of the EJA, who along with partners in Belgian Jewish organisations have an ongoing case against the magazine and Brusselmans in the Belgian courts added

“The Brusselmans case is a hugely important one. It goes to the very heart of the battle against antisemitism. As a people denied a voice, or indeed representation throughout history, you will not find bigger advocates for freedom of speech than Jews. But Brusselmans and Humo exploited this freedom is the most disgusting and dangerous way, putting the lives of Jews literally in front of the writer’s pointed knife and in front of every reader he incited to do likewise either unwittingly or not.

“We must never allow hate to win and must always hold those that perpetuate it to account for their actions.”

Ends.

While criticism of a democratically elected government is normal, EU High Representative Josep Borrell has demonstrated – both before and after October 7th, a clear and repeated anti-Israel bias that has been a significant contributory factor to the ongoing antisemitism and the vilification of the state of Israel in the European public space

Given the record rises in antisemitism and the associated existential threat to Jewish lives in Europe, and given the lack of meaningful measures adopted by governments to date in dealing with the record rises and existential threat, Jewish leaders call upon European Governments and EU Institutions to:

– immediately establish online reporting mechanisms for the ongoing harassment of Jews and antisemitic threats, comprehensive police officer training in identifying antisemitism, dealing with antisemitism and arresting those that perpetrate antisemitic acts.
– enshrine in law the principles of the IRHA and establish the legal means to prosecute those in breach of those principles.

– urge national parliaments to include universities and colleges of higher education in the same body of law, with a view to prohibiting and prosecuting antisemitic incitement

More than 100 heads of European Jewish communities and directors of Israel advocacy organizations passed a resolution today (see attached full resolution) at the conclusion of an emergency conference organized by the European Jewish Association (EJA).

Aiming to formulate operational methods to combat the harassment of Jews across Europe and the rising tide of antisemitic hate since October 7, the resolution focused on three major issues: The lack of meaningful measures adopted by governments to date in dealing with the record rises and existential threat, the widespread but ineffective adoption of the IHRA definition of Antisemitism and while criticism of a democratically elected government is normal, the EJA notes with great concern EU High Representative Josep Borrell’s clear and repeated anti-Israel bias that has been a significant contributory factor to the ongoing antisemitism and the vilification of the state of Israel.

The agenda of the emergency conference, all under the theme of ‘fighting back’, was 100% solution-focused: for governments, law enforcement, security of institutions and the ‘Jew in the street’, in the media, and even in sports, thus taking in the totality of the Jewish lived experience at present. Attendees included the principal leaders of Dutch Jewry, the President of the CJO – the umbrella group of Jewish Communities in the Netherlands, the Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands, and Community Presidents from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other Dutch cities. Joining them were leaders from across Europe, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, to name but four. Those who spoke at the conference or sent messages of support included Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the European and Dutch Special envoys for Combatting antisemitism Ms. Katharina von Schnurbein and Eddo Verdoner, former NBA and professional football players, leading figures from Christians for Israel International and the Secretary General of the Catholic Church in the EU.

EJA, Chairman, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, noted at the opening of the conference: “We are in a battle for the continuation of Jewish life in Europe. Jews in traditional dress or those with mezuzahs on their doors are experiencing relentless harassment. Jewish students face threats to their lives and are excluded from university courses, while hate slogans are freely scrawled on Jewish homes, synagogues, and cemeteries. We must formulate plans to fight antisemitism on all fronts: politically, legally, publicly, and by increasing community and personal security. But all this might not be enough. Therefore, the State of Israel must urgently develop a practical contingency plan for the absorption of European Jewry in Israel. Unfortunately, this is no longer a hypothetical situation but a real existential threat that European governments are failing or unwilling to address.”

Joel Mergui, President of Consistoire of Paris (the largest Jewish community in Europe) and Chairman of EJA Jewish Leaders Council stated: “We thought that after the worst massacre committed after the holocaust, the Jewish people, both in Israel and in the diaspora, would have been strongly supported on the long run, but this was unfortunately not the case. Very quickly, Israel and the Jews worldwide were blamed for the consequences of the horrible and barbarian war launched by Hamas against them. This bleak and unfair reality is very frightening

Eddo Verdoner, National Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism (NCAB), Ministry of Justice, the Netherlands: “Our office’s main goal is clear: we need to find the right implementation to fight antisemitism. New policy changes are required to find solutions to modern problems. We need to ensure that younger generations learn not only from the lessons of the Holocaust, but also from current antisemitism.”

Stefan Hansel, Hamburg Antisemitism Commissioner shared with the Jewish leaders that: “95% of Germany Jews come from post-Soviet republics. Most of these Jews are unaffiliated and have no voice to represent them, although they experience the challenges that are
found within migrant communities – including exclusion especially challenges that are found within the interactions with Muslim communities. We need to rethink our institutional relationships with [Muslim] institutions. Even with the overlapping issues such as kosher slaughter and circumcision, we need to call out the issues within the Muslim institutions which are clearly Antisemitic.”

Pascal Markowitz, Attorney at the Paris Bar and EJA Legal Forum member has briefed the conference about current legislation situation in France: “French Law forbids boycotting people based on their nationality. It considered it as a discrimination. We managed to sue anti-Israel activists based on this legal definition, especially against anti-Israel activists who organized boycott happening in supermarkets. This law should be regarded as a model that could be replicated at the pan-European level.

Kalman Szalai, President of Action and Protection League addressed the conference and stressed that: “the world seems to have forgotten the basic sense of right and wrong. we must recognise the exact threat we are facing. We must prepare for the fact that the number of antisemitic hate crimes will continue to increase, and the number of victims will also increase with this! Currently, there is no European umbrella organization that deals with providing protection, legal assistance, and mental help to such victims. There are organisations that have already been forced to provide such support in some countries, but an EU-wide representation in this regard is required. I believe it is of the utmost importance that we act together, as a community. This is now our task.

In a panel dedicated to the fight against antisemitism in sports, Eric Rubin, Global Ambassador for Maccabi World Union emphasized that “Sports should be used as a tool to combat Antisemitism. Although we will not make headway to racist fringe groups from the far-left neo-Nazis, our work at Project Max (Max Nordau) uses sports advocates to lend their voices to bring awareness to the middle 60 or 70% of the people in the world who are not really aware about what Antisemitism is.

Former NBA player (Chicago Bulls and NY Knicks) Michael Sweetney shared his personal experience dealing with antisemitism: “When I saw what was happening after Oct 7th, it hurt, because I had a special relationship to many of the people who had passed through the sports camps that I had coached. Going to Israel was very educational for me. Despite the preoccupations of people like my wife who were afraid for me, I was amazed how peaceful everything was. At the Wailing Wall, I was surprised to see Jews and Arabs engaged in normal conversations.

For further information, please contact: Nir Natan, EJA Spokesman +972-9535123
tal.rabina@eipa.eu.com
European Jewish Association
Rue du Cornet 22
1040 Brussels

TEXT of RESOLUTION PASSED BY EUROPEAN JEWISH LEADERS, BELOW

EUROPEAN JEWISH LEADERS PASS RESOLUTION AT AMSTERDAM CONFERENCE – 4 JUNE 2024

We, Jewish leaders and communities present at the European Jewish Association Annual Conference in Amsterdam on this day – 4 June 2024, following a vote, passed the following resolution:

1. Given the record rises in antisemitism and the associated existential threat to Jewish lives in Europe,

and given the lack of meaningful measures adopted by governments to date in dealing with the record rises and existential threat,

– urges the immediate establishment by European governments of an online reporting mechanism for the ongoing harassment of Jews and antisemitic threats suffered and that this reporting mechanism be directly linked to law enforcement agencies for rapid response.

– urges comprehensive police officer training in identifying antisemitism, dealing with antisemtism and arresting those that perpetrate antisemtic acts. Additionally, urges police departments to adopt a zero tolerance attitude towards violent and/or intimidating protests to include terrorist organisation banners, flags or insignia.

– urges each European Public Prosecutor’s Office to appoint a dedicated professional to deal with antisemitic complaints with a view to adopting much tougher responses to antisemitic incidents, and establish a fast- track procedure towards prosecution.

2. Given the widespread adoption of the IHRA definition of Antisemitism,

– urges national parliaments to enshrine in law the principles of the IRHA, and establish the legal means to prosecute those in breach of those principles.

– urges national parliaments to include universities and colleges of higher education in the same body of law, with a view to prohibiting and prosecuting antisemitic incitement – as defined by the legal definition – in classes, lectures, and in activities on campus properties.

3. We accept that criticism of a democratically elected government is normal but we note with great concern that the European Union High Representative Josep Borrell has demonstrated – both before and after October 7th – and via his spokesman Peter Stano, a clear and repeated anti-Israel bias that has been a significant contributory factor to the ongoing antisemitism and the vilification of the state of Israel as a whole in the European public space,

– states that High Representative Borrell has actively fostered a negative climate within the European Union External Action Service towards the State of Israel during his tenure,

– reminds the European Council and European Commission that the High Representative’s role is ‘contributory’, and that High Representative Borrell has frequently embellished or added to adopted European Council positions on his own initiative, including open criticism of the European Commission President stated support for Israel following the Hamas pogrom of October 7th,

– urges the European Council, in light of the significant damage to European-Israeli relations, and in his contributing to antisemitism, to properly vet the next high representative and ensure that the position and reputation of the EEAS is not allowed to be exploited and manipulated for partisan purposes, as it was under High Representative Borrell.

Conference calls on the European Jewish Association to send this resolution to:

– All European National Parliaments and Governments.

– All European Special Envoys for Combatting Antisemitism

– The Presidents of the European Council and European Commission

The Resolution was passed by a majority by show of hands on the 4th June 20