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News Releases 2013

“In the country of Hitler and Eichmann,'Hang the journalists, like with the Jews' is hardly a casual remark, out of ignorance or naiveté.”

Paris, 6 December 2013

In a letter to London Mayor, Boris Johnson, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, addressed him in his capacity as “Chair of the Local Management Committee (LMC) of the EU European Regional Development Fund.

The ERDF website states on governance that this Committee ‘makes recommendations for awarding funding.’” 

“Law punishes Moroccans in economic, political, cultural, artistic or other contacts with 2 to 5 years imprisonment and fines of 10,000 to 100,000 euros.”

21 November, 2013

In a letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, noted that “Your Majesty is currently in Washington at meetings with President Obama and his Administration regarding your country’s role in maintaining democratic stability at a tempestuous time of security challenges to your country and the entire North Africa/Middle East (MENA) region.”

“One can only speculate the reaction to a similar move related to Islamophobia.”

Paris, 6 November 2013

In a letter to European Union Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton of Upholland, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed shock that “to read on ‘Electronic Intifada’ website that the European Union’s Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) – now renamed the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) – 2004 ‘Working Definition of Antisemitism’ has been removed from the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) website.”

"Conviction follows Wiesenthal Centre's Protest and criminalizes concepts once current during the 1941-944 Finnish alliance with Nazi Germany."

Paris, 22 October 2013

Juha Karkkainen, founder of the department store network that bears his name, has been fined 45,000€ for "inciting to hatred against an ethnic group" in his free distribution newspaper 'Magneetti Media'.  The Court ordered him to remove the antisemitic articles from the Magneetti website.

On 29 July 2013, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Affairs, Dr. Shimon Samuels, wrote to Finnish psident, Sauli Vainamo Niinistö urging his condemnation of these articles including: "The Jews Who Control the Media"," Zionist Terrorism in Norway", "The Great Rabbi Rape Cover-Up" etc. Jewish organisations of Finland had in parallel launched a legal suit.

"The Wiesenthal Centre congratulates all parties who have achieved a historic judgement that criminalizes concepts once current during the 10941-1944 Finish alliance with Nazi Germany", observed Samuels, adding, "In that the words 'Jew ' and ' Zionist' are used interchangeably in Magneetti Media, the Court's decision is in line with the anti-discrimination provision of the European Union and implements its Fundamental Rights Agency 2004 Working Definition of Antisemitism."

Wiesenthal Centre to President of Ukraine: "From Bandera and Shukhevych to Svoboda, these are Contemporary icons for the fans who bring Hate and Violence to Ukrainian Football."

Paris, 18 October 2013

In a letter to Ukrainian President, H.E. Mr. Viktor Yanukovich, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, noted his participation this week, in an international conference on antisemitism to mark the centenary of the Mendel Beilis trial in Kyiv, held under the auspices of the current Ukrainian Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).