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News Releases 2019

A Report by Dr. Shimon Samuels, Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations and Permanent Observer to UNESCO

“To claim that these resolutions were passed by consensus in the absence of a key party is a travesty...”
“Perhaps an open ballot of the 58 voting states would be more useful to identify the righteous versus the intimidated, the bribed and the simply antisemitic.”

Paris, 11 April 2019

Two resolutions, item 32 and 33 – both submitted by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan – were passed today “by consensus without a vote” at the UNESCO Executive Board chaired by Madam Samira Moosa of Oman.

“Our only allies at the Durban 2001 antisemitic hatefest were Roma, East European Slavs and LGBT NGOs – each were marked for extermination by Hitler.”

“Jews need Gentiles to combat antisemitism, Blacks need Whites against racism, Women need Men for their rights and Gays need Straights.”

Paris, 8 April 2019 

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre vigorously condemned the 3 April Brunei adoption of the death penalty by stoning: of homosexuals, women charged with adultery and other categories under Sharia law.

Paris, April 8, 2019

On the occasion of the 25th commemoration of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsis in Rwanda, the NGO Ibuka France – in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial, the Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah, the Paris City Hall, the EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences), the UEJF (Union of Jewish Students of France), SOS Racisme, the IHEJ (Institute of Advanced Studies on Justice), Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) and other associations working in the field of memory – organized exhibitions, conferences, meetings and other events, from March 22 to May 24, in the Ile-de-France region and throughout France...

This was a unique opportunity to analyze the latest genocide of the twentieth century, understand its origins and consequences, but especially to re-assert support to the victims and their families.

As every year, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre was present at these events, mainly in the educational and social action programmes on the lessons of the last genocide of the twentieth century.

“It took a Holocaust bank scandal to open Mobutu’s Swiss bank accounts”... “Based on that precedent, the British Society of Black Lawyers sought compensation for slavery.”

Paris, 5 April 2019

In a letter to British Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, the Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, applauded the announcement that the long-delayed indemnification to the so-called “Windrush” deported families has now been activated.

5 April 2019 1
(images: coventrytelgraph.net)

In the 1990s, the Centre already viewed restitution as not exclusive to Jewish Holocaust claimants.

The Centre was approached by survivors of slave forced labour, Sinti and Roma, Gays and even officials from Hungary, Italy, Spain and Turkey regarding lost gold.

Paris, 4 April 2019

The first forum devoted to “Intergenerational Survivors of the Holocaust, Jewish Veterans, Hidden Children, Righteous Among the Nations” was held in Paris, 2-4 February 2019. Organised by the Mémorial de la Shoah and 30 partner organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and its branch association Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance, the forum proved a great success, with over six hundred attendees.

4 April 2019 1
For a forever living memory”

All generations were reunited around their common interests, to help look back at the past and go forward towards the future, renew old friendships and forge new ones, work at transmitting the memory of the Holocaust, continue the fight against antisemitism and oblivion of the past. The forum “Generations of the Holocaust” watched over the memory of the 6 million Jews exterminated in the Holocaust, of which 1,5 million were children.

About 50 associations gave financial help to run the forum. Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance donated €3,000.