With war in Gaza and Europe-wide Antisemitism peak, Jews bring president Von der Leyen and other friends in Brussels to ‘shine together’ on Channukah

The European Jewish Association (EJA) is appalled by the latest Antisemitism
incidents that took place in Croatia and in Greece, only a few days after the
unspeakable massacre against innocent civilians committed by Hamas in Israel. In
Split, Croatia’s 2nd largest city, a graffiti “Juden Raus” adorned with the “U” from the
WW2 fascist Ustasa regime that killed and deported thousands of Jews made its
appearance. In Thessaloniki, Greece’s 2nd largest city as well, the Holocaust memorial
mural at the main train station was desecrated with the inscriptions “Jews=Nazi” and
“Free Gaza”. Furthermore, a Jewish store was attacked, causing luckily only material
damage.

Commenting on the incidents in Croatia, EJA Managing Director Jorgos Papadakis
said: “It is hard to comprehend these acts of hatred against Jews in Europe. We have
been in Croatia two weeks ago, organized an international conference in Zagreb and
paid tribute to the thousands who perished at the notorious Jasenovac Death Camp.
We praised the country’s IHRA Chairmanship and the efforts made to eradicate
antisemitism. This is why it is surprising that we heard no words of condemnation from
the government. Using the exact same words the Nazis used before eventually leading
millions of Jews to their death cannot be perceived even as a bad joke.”, Papadakis
stressed out.

On Greece, Papadakis added: “As a Greek, I cannot even begin to comprehend such
acts of violence and hate in a city that lost almost its entire Jewish population, more
than 50 thousand souls, during the Holocaust. The authorities must send a strong
message by condemning this barbarism and bringing the culprits in front of justice.
Anything else would not be acceptable.”

Ends

Last Wednesday, our colleague Juan Caldes, in collaboration with Rebecca from the ECI, took a stand against the alarming proliferation of myths surrounding Israel. These unfounded claims range from accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing to the unjust labelling of Israel as an apartheid state. It’s crucial to combat these dangerous misconceptions before they spiral out of control, distorting reality and inciting unwarranted hostility. Yesterday, at the European Jewish Association office, we continued our efforts, with another session led by Alex Benjamin Vice Director for Communication. This time, the focus was on understanding advocacy and its implications, followed by a discussion on Judaism.

Responding to the news this morning that a court in Ghent has acquitted Herman Brusselmans for Holocaust Denial or Trivialisation and for Racism or Hate speech, the Chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin said in statement,

“Jewish Communities across Belgium and across Europe have just been told that hate laws don’t apply to Jews in the Kingdom.

The Courts think it OK for a man, read by hundreds of thousands of people, to incite murder and spread hate.

The Court thinks it’s ok to write in a national publication that you want to stick a knife in the throat of every Jew you come across in anger at the situation in Gaza.

Belgium has just normalised hate speech. It has given a green light to antisemitism. It has said that when it comes to Jews, everything is permitted.

This is a disgraceful and utterly shameful outcome, one that calls into very question the future of Jews in Belgium. Brusselmans words were so clear cut. And his acquittal leaves a gaping wound between Jews and the very state that is supposed to care for its wellbeing.

The new Belgium Government has the urgent duty to bring forward new legislation to prevent such reprehensible and morally bankrupt decisions in the future when it comes to the fight against antisemitism.”