The EJA sends our abiding support to the citizens of Israel, assailed by rocket fire from Gaza, and orchestrated riots in Jerusalem. Nobody in Israel wants violence, but Hamas and the Palestinian Authority sadly do not share that view and are ratcheting up violence and tension. We stand for Israel. We stand fir Peace. We stand for an end to this folly.
We at the EJA had the pleasure of sending our heartfelt congratulations directly to Mr. Iulian-Alexandru Muraru MP who was recently appointed as the Special Representative of the Romanian Government for Promoting Memory Policies, Combating Antisemitism and Xenophobia.
Mr Muraru joins a growing roster of special representatives in Europe tasked with combatting antisemitism. The EJA have been advocating heavily for as many positions as possible to be filled to this end across the continent and are delighted that Romania has taken such an important step.
We very much look forward to a fruitful cooperation with Mr Muraru and we stand ready to provide assistance. We likewise eagerly look forward to meeting Muraru with when the ongoing conditions allow for it.
The remark triggered a storm of criticism and Keller has since apologized
German Football Association (DFB) president Fritz Keller faced calls to resign on Sunday after he sparked outrage by comparing his deputy to a Nazi judge.
Presidents of the DFB’s regional associations, which run Germany’s semi-professional and amateur leagues, announced after weekend crisis talks that Keller had lost a vote of confidence and has been “asked to step down from his position.”
DFB general secretary Friedrich Curtius was likewise asked to vacate his role after losing a confidence vote.
The turmoil comes after Keller in a recent meeting likened DFB vice-president Rainer Koch to Roland Freisler, the infamous head of the Nazi party’s court in the 1940s.
Freisler was also a participant at 1942’s Wannsee Conference, where it was decided that 11 million Jews should be exterminated.
The remark triggered a storm of criticism and Keller has since apologized to Koch, acknowledging that his words were “totally inappropriate, notably towards the victims of Nazism.”
Keller ruled out stepping down over the incident, however. Koch has not said that he has accepted the apology.
In a statement, the leaders of the DFB’s five regional and 21 state associations called Keller’s Nazi reference “completely unacceptable” and said they condemned it “in the strongest possible terms.”
“The president’s comments are incompatible with the principles and values of the associations,” they added.
According to the statement, Keller and Curtius have asked for time to consider the resignation requests.
Earlier last week, on 6 November 2019, the European Jewish Association and our partners from the Action and Protection Foundation /Hungary/ and Association “Shamir” /Latvia/ have come together to further promote the ongoing Europe-wide initiative on the European Curriculum and Textbook Project against Antisemitism. This time the meeting brought us to the Gem of the Baltics – Rīga, the enchanting capital of the Republic of Latvia.
At the meeting, where the EJA has been represented by Mihails Vorobeičiks-Mellers (Political Affairs Adviser), the APF by Kálmán Szalai (Secretary) and Shamir by Rabbi Menahems Barkahans (Chairman) and Jūlija Tereščenko (Project Manager), we have had a chance to meet with H.E. Madam Ilga Šuplinska, Minister for Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, and members of her staff.
The meeting took place at a beautiful Jugendstil building constructed back in 1911, which the Ministry occupies since 1938. Besides the earlier Hungarian experience, the system of education in Latvia has been discussed, particularly the various curricular and extra-curricular initiatives and programmes already implemented or currently planned by the educational authorities and other entities, such as NGOs, and which are related to different aspects of Jewish studies in the country, and thus the project’s area of topical coverage.
Differently from other meetings, this one has taken place in two languages – English and Latvian. As a result, the overall tone of the conversation became somewhat more personal, with a variety of first-hand experiences having been brought up by the EJA’s representative, taken from his own school years as well as Jewish studies back home. In turn, Rabbi Barkahan has described Shamir’s very active long-time work and accomplishments in the latter field.
In the course of the discussion, several areas of possible cooperation have been identified, including on the composition of new academic materials for school pupils. Moreover, interest in potential event collaboration both in Latvia and abroad has been indicated.
We are deeply grateful to H.E. Minister Šuplinska and the Ministry of Education and Science for the interest, time and the opportunity to hold this important discussion, not to mention for being such welcoming hosts. We very much look forward to further contacts on the present initiative and other subjects of common interest and concern.
