News Releases 2016
Wiesenthal Centre to Kosova President: "these books are translated into Albanian, and published in Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood"
"Kosova can not claim to combat Islamist radicalism while exposing itself to Jihadist hate".
Paris, 15 November
In a letter to Kosova President, Hashim Thaçi, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, protested "the sale of antisemitic hate literature - not a hundred metres from the Presidential Palace - during an Organisation for Security and Cooperation Conference (OSCE) on "Combatting Terrorism and Radicalism."
Wiesenthal Centre to UNESCO Director-General: “While we commend your firm stance against antisemitism, we urge you to condemn dangerous displays at Arab Book Fairs and remove UNESCO from Sharjah…”
Paris, 4 November 2016
In a letter to UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, noted the Centre’s alert to UNESCO regarding “the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which in 2015 displayed an array of Jewish conspiracy titles,” adding, “We urged UNESCO to disassociate itself from the 2016 Fair, which opened on 2 November, featuring the organization as its Honoured Guest.”
The letter lamented that, “…nevertheless, UNESCO now plays a central role at the SIBF, thereby indirectly associated with an unprecedented number of antisemitic titles (see selected photos, titles and authors in attachment).
Read more: UNESCO is ‘Honorary Guest’ at Sharjah Book Fair...
'Pogrom' at University College London
“Deracinate the growth before it metastasizes: Identify the perpetrators and expel them.”
Paris, 31 October 2016
In a letter to University of London Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Adrian Smith, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed “outrage at the 27 October assault at University College London (UCL), by a so-called “pro-Palestinian” mob on a peaceful audience, come to hear an Israeli Gay rights and Palestinian outreach activist.”
The letter related how “the thugs first attacked female students on their way to the event. They then attempted to break into the lecture hall and force doors and windows.”
"The Centre warned of the potential danger of Article 18 of the Resolution in calling the Western Wall “part of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif. This could provoke further violence against Jews in Israel and Christians throughout the Middle-East… Mosques, media and schools throughout the region can now claim that non-Muslims at the Wall are trespassing on Al Aqsa.”
“UNESCO bears responsibility for the consequences.”
Paris, 26 October 2016
Reporting from UNESCO, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, congratulated Tanzania for cracking the Palestinian conception of “consensus” - as meaning unanimity - by demanding a secret ballot.
This procedure allowed a split between the 21 member-States. Several countries were yesterday reported to have received direct threats.
“Israel, the de facto administrating authority”
Paris, 25 October 2016
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre today received an advance copy of Item 7A Draft Decision 40 COM 7A 13, submitted by Kuwait, Lebanon and Tunisia to the 21 member-state UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC).
This resolution, “Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (sites proposed by Jordan)”, will be, reportedly, adopted tomorrow without further changes or debate - in UNESCO parlance: “by consensus.”
Shimon Samuels with Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama Cohen