News Releases 2010
Paris, 25 November 2010
In a letter to Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels lamented that "the Centre was struck by the timing of an event in Dublin, sadly reminiscent of financial scapegoating of the 1930's".
The letter continued, "in the midst of Ireland's greatest post-war crisis, a poster illustrating an atomized Europe around a Star of David, invites the public on 3 December to an Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign book launch/wine and cheese reception.
Paris, 15 October 2010
In a letter to Air France-KLM President Director-General, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, explained that "one of our many members who fly frequently on your airlines, has brought to our attention the June-September 2010 Flyer Menu of your company subsidiary, Transavia."
Paris, 12 October 2010
In a letter to City Mayors and World Mayor coordinator, Tann vom Hove,the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr.Shimon Samuels, praised the organization's annual election of 'World Mayors' who "excel in…leadership and vision, management abilities and integrity,social and economic awareness, ABILITY TO PROVIDE SECURITY…to FOSTER GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES from different cultural,racial and social backgrounds”.
Nevertheless,Samuels expressed concern that "one of the 25 mayors shortlisted for the 2010 award, has reportedly contradicted the very qualities highlighted above. Mr.Ilmar Reepalu, is Mayor of Malmo, a Swedish city of some 300,000 of which over 60,000 are Muslim and 756 are Jews."
Read more: Wiesenthal Centre to World Mayor Award: "Malmo...
Paris, 8 October 2010
In his report to Frankfurt Book Fair Director, Jurgen Boos, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr.Shimon Samuels, noted that "this is the 8th Year that the Simon Wiesenthal Centre monitors incitement to hate and violence on the display stands of this, the most important and largest book fair in the world". (This year, 7533 exhibitors from 111 countries over 172000 sq.m. of display area, receiving over 300000 visitors).
Samuels noted that the Director had always stressed his "commitment to promoting international standards, best practices and respect”.
“Wiesenthal Centre Seeks Freeze of Perpetrators’ Assets to Compensate Victims.”
Paris, 4 October 2010
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre-France co-organized a 30th anniversary commemoration of the Copernic bombing at the synagogue, entitled "Remember, Analyze, Judge". On 3 October 1980, the attack, then attributed to neo-Nazis killed four in the street and wounded forty-two worshippers inside the synagogue building. The attack was later traced to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-Special Operations (PFLP-SO), then based in Lebanon.