News Releases 2023
Geneva, 20 June 2023
A Wiesenthal Centre delegation, led by Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, was present today at a UN Human Rights Council session on the Commission of Inquiry (COI), purportedly focussing on “investigating human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, and in Israel,” particularly in relation to civil society, media and NGOs.
In truth, the COI is consistently targeting Israel – accused, among other heinous crimes, of “harassment, colonialism, deportation, arbitrary detention and killing, smearing campaigns, infringement of privacy and apartheid...” – while blatantly downplaying any human rights violation of the “Palestinian Authority” and the “de-facto authority in Gaza” (euphemistic definition of terrorist group Hamas).
Because of its open-ended mandate – meaning unprecedented perpetual funding from UN member-States – and one-sided attacks on Israel, the COI is criticized by a growing number of countries – presently 27, led by the United States – that question the COI’s impartiality and independence, and ultimately call for its review and eventual termination.
Read more: Wiesenthal Centre Notes from the UN-Geneva COI...
Paris, 9 June 2023
The Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, noted that the Centre’s report – regarding the President of the PSOE (Socialist Party) in Seville, Amparo Rubiales – was picked up in Europa Press and other media outlets.
Rubiales had attacked PP (Centrist Party) National Coordinator, Sen. Elias Bendodo, calling him a “Nazi Jew”. After a sort of rectification, she called Bendodo, who is a Sephardi Jew, only a “Nazi”.
The Wiesenthal Centre, together with Spanish Jews, “are delighted that our action has led to Rubiales’ resignation. May this serve as a lesson for others involved in the political arena.”
“The PP is presenting a complaint against her for ‘hate crime’ in a Seville Court, which we support,” concluded Samuels.
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For further information, contact csweurope@gmail.com
Paris, 8 June 2023
The Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, was disgusted to read the Tweet of a personality of high office, former Vice President of the Spanish Congress, Amparo Rubiales.
In a Tweet, she had written: “It is really the speech of a Nazi Jew!”, referring to opposition PP (Partido Popular) Coordinator, Elias Bendodo, on Government decisions regarding Spain’s next general elections.
Read more: Wiesenthal Centre Disgusted at “Jew=Nazi” Mix Up...
Paris, 7 June 2023
“ReconnaisSENS”, a dialogue on how to assist Holocaust survivors and their children, was held on June 7, at the Espace Rachi, in Paris – organized by Passerelles, the department of the FSJU (Fonds social juif unifié) dedicated to Holocaust survivors and their children.
Richard Odier spoke on the theme “Between stupor, guilt and recognition: the emergence of a ‘role’ for survivors in our societies.” His interlocutor on stage was François Rachline, writer, economist and vice-president of LICRA.
This was also the occasion to recall Simon Wiesenthal’s dedication, as a survivor, expressed so clearly in his words:
“Survival is a privilege entailing responsibility. I have always asked myself what I could do for those who did not survive. The answer that I found for myself (and which by no means must be the answer for every survivor) is: I want to be their mouthpiece, I want to keep their memory alive, so that the dead can live on in this memory.”
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For further information, contact csweurope@gmail.com
Paris, 5 June 2023
Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, has followed the content of seven annual Arabic book fairs and media in the Arab world.
In a webinar of the Middle East Forum (MEFORUM), its Financial Fellow, Jordan Cope, presented a remarkable classification of Sunni and Shia state-sponsored media.
Qatar’s Al-Jazeera and Turkey’s TRT are both widely considered as supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Islamic political movement.