Brussels, 1 July 2015
The European Conservative and Reformists Party (ECR) Group of 72 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) yesterday, hosted a first-ever Hearing on the “Antisemitism of Hamas”, co-organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre (SWC) and the European Jewish Association (EJA).
ECR Bulgarian MEP, Angel Dzhambazki, opened the proceedings and introduced Foreign Affairs spokesman, British MEP Dr. Charles Tannock, who – with the Wiesenthal Centre – had led a campaign for investigation of EU funding of Palestinian causes: “... Now it seems that Shiah Iran has been funding Sunni Hamas... Hamas may have been democratically elected, but like Hitler, that does not mean they have a democratic mandate to act as they do... Elsewhere, with such a Manifesto or Charter, it would be banned”, he declared.
EJA, General Director, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, slammed Hamas' ideology as “the most explicit example of Jew hatred since 'Mein Kampf'.” He appealed to MEPs “to fully understand what Israel and Jews the world over are being threatened with... and to avoid double-standards.”
SWC Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, exposed Hamas texts in European languages destined for Muslim and other schools across the continent. He also addressed Hamas' appetite for Jewish heritage, such as the Western Wall – claimed for Islam as “the Buraq Wall” – according to Islam, Buraq was Muhammad's winged steed who brought him from Mecca to Jerusalem and was tethered to the Wall during the Prophet's night journey to heaven.”
Dr. Matthias Kunzel, author of “Jihad and the Jews”, explained how Hamas' forebear, the Muslim Brotherhood, was financed by Hitler, and by 1945 the focus of Jew-hatred had moved from Nazi Germany to the Arab Muslim World.
Dr. Pascal Markowicz, French Chapter Chairman of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers, drew links between Jihadi terrorist attacks in Europe against Jewish targets and atrocities in Israel, as also, cases of funding Hamas through European charities.
Extracts from Pierre Rehov's new film, “War Crimes in Gaza”, were screened focusing on Hamas “"violence against its own people.”
“When we read the Hamas Charter, we are confronted with Adolf Hitler's legacy,” concluded Rabbi Margolin.
A Written Declaration was presented for MEP's signature as an official document of the European Parliament.
Estonian MEP Tunne Kelam of the EPP, the Parliament’s largest party group, and the programme host MEP Dzhambazki, concluded the meeting with a call for action.
Samuels noted that “this Hearing was a response to the previous day's LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) EP committee symposium on ‘Antisemitism and Islamophobia’.” Samuels protested such statements by MEP's at the symposium as:
- “The Muslims were the victims of 9/11 as it increased Islamophobia”
- “Israel is anti-Jewish as it violates Jewish ethics”
- “European Jewish leaders must disassociate themselves from Israel just as moderate Muslims are expected to disassociate themselves from ISIS.”
