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News Releases 2016

Wiesenthal Centre Commends Paris City Council's Measures to Ban Activities of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Movement

The Municipality prohibits calls for or measures taken to boycott Israel, gatherings in the public domain or in the streets of Paris, or such activities in public establishments or buildings subsidized by the City.”

Paris, 18 February 2016

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre commended the Paris City Council yesterday for its “prohibition of calls for or measures taken to boycott Israel, gatherings in the public domain or in the streets of Paris, or such activities in public establishments or buildings subsidized by the City,” adding that “this municipal ruling expands and reinforces the French anti-boycott law 77-574 of 7 June 1977.”

The Centre, in particular, applauded Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo who, together with the centre-right Republican and Democratic opposition parties, carried the vote against the Greens, Communists and other leftist factions on the council.

Wiesenthal Centre to French Foreign Minister: “Your Dream of Two
States Can be Achieved by Pressing the Palestinians to Recognize the
'Jewish State of Israel'.”

“Without this precondition, you only reinforce Palestinian obstinacy
in pursuing their blind vision of murder to the last Israeli.”

Paris,1 February 2016

In a letter to French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, the Simon
Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon
Samuels, noted that, “on 13 January - the anniversary of Emile Zola's
'J'accuse' - our Centre held a gala screening of our film 'It is no
Dream – The Life of Theodore Herzl' on the Champs Elysees, under the
Patronage of President François Hollande and Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo.”

Wiesenthal Centre to World Medical Association: “Resist Pressure to Expel Israel from World Medical Association (WMA)”

It is ironic that the WMA ethical programme was born in the wake of World War II, when Nazi doctors committed inhuman experiments on children, exterminated the handicapped and murdered six million Jews and others.”

The prejudices of seventy one British doctors bent on Israel's expulsion have turned them into ethics abortionists.”

Paris, 21 January 2016

In a letter to World Medical Association (WMA), President, Sir Michael Marmot, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed horror that “the very mission of the World Medical Association (WMA) ethics programme is about to be impugned by a group of 71 British physicians intent on expelling the Israel Medical Association from your membership.”

Wiesenthal Centre to French Jewish Leaders: “While Government Takes Firm Protective Measures, Legal Authorities Call Attackers 'Unbalanced' as cover for Antisemitic Terrorists”

Attendees at kosher supermarket commemoration were almost exclusively Jewish.”

As continuing attacks take their toll... no wonder Jewish immigration is exceeding published figures... One can only imagine the fate of these communities today, but for the existence of the State of Israel.”

Paris, 12 January 2016

In a presentation to French Jewish leaders, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, suggested that “anniversary ceremonies across Paris for the victims of Charlie Hebdo and the kosher supermarket atrocities have been undermined by continuing terrorism:
- a knife attack on a Paris police station by a self-proclaimed Jihadist, reportedly from a German camp for Syrian refugees. The assailant was shot dead by police fire
- a 15 year old Islamist machete attack on a Jewish school teacher, when leaving his synagogue in Marseilles.

Wiesenthal Centre to Nantes Mayor: “Ban Reportedly Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion Meeting Bent on Recruitment of French Youth”

“This danger to the youth of Nantes is equal only to recruitment to ISIS. Nantes must not be a way-station to either Donets or to Damascus.”

Paris, 6 January 2016

In a letter to Nantes Mayor, Johanna Roland, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, drew attention to “a troubling meeting to be convened in Nantes on 16 January by supporters of the Ukrainian Azov Battalion.”