New York, September 25th, 2023

In a joint statement on Monday the two Co-Founders of Forum for Cultural Diplomacy (FCD), Gregory Lafitte and Tomas Sandell said, “The overriding theme in the speeches made at this year’s UN General Debate has been the acknowledgment of the fact that the international system is broken. The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur provides a unique opportunity for a reset. Through self-reflection, sincere repentance and by asking for forgiveness, not only individuals but also nations can begin the year on a clean slate.”

Yom Kippur was recognized as an official UN holiday only in 2016 after ECI had presented the idea to the Israeli government in 2013 and then worked together with the Israeli Permanent Representation to the UN for over two years to ask member states to support the proposal.

In past years FCD has co-hosted Tashlich ceremonies at the UN Rose Garden in New York together with the Israeli Permanent Mission where the sins of the past year, symbolized by breadcrumbs, have been tossed into the East River by UN diplomats. The Jewish ritual, which is based on the Book of Micah, has featured both current Secretary-General António Guterres and former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In this year’s private meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA the FCD team has met with government leaders and senior diplomats to present them with the launch issue of the Old New Jewish Review which is the official journal of the UN Group of Friends of the Jewish Culture. The aim of the group, which has brought together member states from all continents, is to explore the many contributions of the Jewish culture to humanity and to celebrate the universal values and principles which are expressed in the Jewish High Holidays, such as Yom Kippur, and which have later been incorporated as universal values in the UN charter.

ECI travelled to the UNGA High-Level week for the first time in 2011 and has since attended most of the annual sessions except for the years of the pandemic when meetings were severely restricted. As of 2014 the work at the UN goes under the name of Forum for Cultural Diplomacy. The FCD team will return to Europe on Tuesday, one day after Yom Kippur.

The post UN pauses for Yom Kippur as FCD calls on member states to reflect on the message of the Day of Atonement appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

“Many Christians know about Jerusalem from the Bible but not everyone has had the chance to personally visit Israel’s capital. This is our way of bringing Jewish life and culture in Jerusalem home to thousands of people from around the world”, says ECI Communications Officer Rebeka Goba who is the producer and presenter of the video clips. She continues,
“It is important that we can introduce Israel and Jerusalem to a younger generation which may not have been exposed to Jewish life and culture in the same way as previous generations.”

The video clips have already been an instant success. Thousands and thousands of viewers who otherwise do not attend Israel related meetings at home have discovered another side of Israel that they can relate to via various social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

The campaign comes only some months after an estimated ten million people prayed for Israel in what was called The Isaiah 62 Fast.
“It is important that we as believers are connected to the city that gave us our faith”, says ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell. “This is also our way of expressing our appreciation of the Jewish people for having faithfully been the custodians of the Bible for thousands of years, thus enabling us to discover biblical truths today. Furthermore, it is an important antidote to historical distortions, such as the recent UNESCO initiative to declare Jericho a Palestinian heritage site. Only by reconnecting to the land and culture of Israel can we avoid these kind of replacement theories”, he said.

You can follow the campaign on our social media accounts (the icons can be found both at the upper and lower part of this page).

The post ECI marks Jewish New Year with unique social media campaign appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Jerusalem, September 7th, 2023

Congratulating Prime Minister James Marape (picture) for his courage to open an embassy in Jerusalem despite pressure from the international community, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell called upon European nations to adhere to conventional protocol in international relations in accepting the right of a sovereign nation to choose its own capital. He noted that in the case of Israel, the Jewish connection to their spiritual and national capital Jerusalem, stretches more than 3000 years. It has never been the capital of any other nation, he said.

In his speech Prime Minister Marape explained why this Pacific Island nation made the conscious decision to become only the fifth nation to move its embassy to Jerusalem, quoting his Christian faith and saying that “Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel.”

Apart from the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo, who presently have embassies in Jerusalem, several other nations have indicated their desire to also open embassies in Jerusalem, among then EU member states Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic.

European Coalition for Israel was represented in the inauguration ceremony by Founding Director Tomas Sandell, Director for UN Affairs, Gregory Lafitte, and Communications Officer Rebeka Goba.

The post ECI calls on EU member states to recognize Jerusalem as Papua New Guinea is the fifth country to open embassy in Israel’s capital appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

The Iranian chair of the upcoming United Nations Social Summit should step down to restore the faith in the legitimacy of the UN Human Rights Council, the international board of the European Coalition for Israel (ECI) demanded in a statement on Sept. 1.

“Only by removing the current chair of the Social Forum can the objectives of the forum be given fair and proper attention,” the ECI said.

Ali Bahraini, Iran’s ambassador the UN, was appointed to chair the forum set to take place in in Geneva, Switzerland on Nov. 2-3.

The summit – organized by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) – will focus on “the contribution of science, technology, and innovation to promoting human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery.”

“The path to hell is paved with good intentions,” said ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell during its international board meeting in Jerusalem.

Sandell noted that this year marks the 22nd anniversary of the UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban.

“No single event after the end of the Second World War has contributed more to the resurgence of antisemitism than this conference. Behind the noble cause of fighting racism, murky but powerful forces managed to divert the attention away from fighting racism to simply blaming the Jews,” Sandell said.

“In Christian circles, the so-called Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme has effectively influenced a new generation of Christian activists in believing that Israel is the only obstacle to peace in the Middle East.” This program originated in the Durban conference, he added.

Sandell sees similar developments happening today.

“As we mark this sad anniversary, we need to remain vigilant against new forms of deception.”

The ECI also called on the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) to “show their unwavering support for the persecuted church in Iran as well as for Iranian women and youth who are currently out on the streets.”

He noted that the WCC in Geneva “warmly” received Islamic clerics and government representatives from Tehran this summer, while the WEA “has joined forces with Iran, Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss ‘the role of religion in protecting human rights.”

Neither organization has yet to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, the most widely-supported standard to identify manifestations of antisemitism as established by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

“When Christian organizations turn a blind eye to the persecutions of fellow believers it usually goes hand in hand with also turning their backs on the Jews,” Sandell said.

The ECI was established in 2003 as a coalition of non-Jews who felt it was their moral obligation to stand up for the Jewish people and the State of Israel in a time of threat.

You can read the original article here: https://allisrael.com/iranian-chair-of-un-social-forum-should-step-down-says-european-coalition-for-israel

The post Iranian chair of UN Social Forum should step down, says European Coalition for Israel appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Jerusalem, September 1st, 2023

In a statement in Jerusalem on Friday, where the international board of the European Coalition for Israel is currently meeting, he said: “No single event after the end of the Second World War has contributed more to the resurgence of antisemitism than this conference. Behind the noble cause of fighting racism, murky but powerful forces managed to divert the attention away from fighting racism to simply blaming the Jews. The late Congressman Tom Lantos has rightly described the treatment of Jews in Durban in September 2001 as ‘the worst display of antisemitism after the Second World War’. Today we know how, among others, the Islamic regime in Tehran managed to manipulate civil society organizations, including churches, into demonizing Israel and the Jews.”

Still today we see the devastating consequences of the conference on college campuses around the world through the so called “Apartheid week” where Jewish students are being harassed for showing support for Israel. In Christian circles the so-called Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme has effectively influenced a new generation of Christian activists in believing that Israel is the only obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Both initiatives were launched in Durban.

Sandell continues, “As we mark this sad anniversary, we need to remain vigilant against new forms of deception. Over the summer Islamic clerics and government representatives from Tehran have been warmly received at the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva whereas the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has joined forces with Iran, Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss ‘the role of religion in protecting human rights’ despite the fact that the co-organizers are some of the worst human rights violators and persecutors of Christians in the whole world.”

“When Christian organizations turn a blind eye to the persecutions of fellow believers it usually goes hand in hand with also turning their backs on the Jews”, Tomas Sandell said.
Neither organization, WCC or WEA, have to date adopted the IHRA working definition on antisemitism but have instead remained highly critical of the State of Israel. There have, however, been no protests over the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon chair the UN Human Rights Council’s upcoming Social Summit *) despite its continuous human rights violations, its support of international terrorism and persecution of Christians in Iran. ECI calls upon the Iranian Chair, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, to immediately step down from his position to restore faith in the legitimacy of the UN Human Rights Council.

Furthermore, European Coalition for Israel calls upon the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance to show their unwavering support for the persecuted church in Iran as well as for Iranian women and youth who are currently out on the streets, risking their lives, for simply exercising their fundamental rights and freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Only by removing the current chair of the Social Summit can the objectives of the summit be given a fair and proper attention.

*) The upcoming Social Forum takes place in Geneva on 2-3 November and focuses on “the contribution of science, technology, and innovation to promoting human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery”.

The post Geneva marks 22nd anniversary of Durban conference – ECI calls on Iranian Chair of upcoming Social Summit to step down to restore faith in the UNHRC appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Samtidigt som den islamistiska regimen i Teheran fortsätter att sprida terror i hela Mellanöstern och brutalt tystar ner alla protester runt om i landet, passar Kyrkornas världsråd i Genève på att bjuda in regimens representanter till gemytliga samtal om hur man kan stärka den religiösa dialogen.

Vilken dialog?

För den som ännu kommer ihåg Kyrkornas världsråds svek mot de förföljda kristna bakom järnridån kommer nyheten knappast som någon överraskning. Men även den som hade hoppats att Evangeliska världsalliansen (WEA) skulle välja en annan väg är nu rejält besviken.

Alliansen säger sig på sin hemsida representera fyrahundra miljoner evangeliskt troende runt om i världen. Under sommaren medverkade WEA på en konferens i Genève, ordnad av Iran, Pakistan och OIC (de islamistiska staternas samarbetsorganisation). Ämnet för konferensen kunde inte vara mera provocerande: Hur kan religionen stödja mänskliga rättigheter?

Ni läste rätt. Att arrangörerna hör till världens mest repressiva regimer, som aktivt förföljer kristna, tycktes inte besvära WEA. På samma gång som regimen hemma i Iran gör allt för att förtrycka och förhindra sin egen befolkning från att utöva sina grundläggande mänskliga rättigheter, vill man på den internationella arenan framstå som en försvarare av dessa rättigheter.

Hur tänker WEA? I en stort uppslagen artikel i Christianity Today tidigare i sommar försvarade man sig med att man vill såväl försvara förföljda kristna som föra en öppen dialog. På samma sätt försvarade sig många kristna ledare i 1930-talets Tyskland, där man genom en ”konstruktiv inställning” till nationalsocialisterna hoppades tala Führern till rätta.

Kopplingen till trettiotalets Nazityskland är inte långsökt. Dagens regim i Teheran har nämligen fortfarande samma mål som de tyska nazisterna, nämligen att utplåna det judiska folket. Personligen kan jag ha större förståelse för de kristna ledare som på trettiotalet trodde att Hitler skulle ändra sig, eftersom Förintelsen uppfattades som någonting otänkbart i den kristna kultursfären.

Med facit i hand borde dagens kristna ledare veta bättre. En regim som upprepar hotet att förinta den judiska staten menar allvar.

Det är knappast någon tillfällighet att samma organisationer som ser mellan fingarna på regimer som öppet förföljer kristna inte heller visar något större intresse att engagera sig i kampen mot antisemitismen. Varken Kyrkornas världsråd eller Evangeliska världsalliansen har antagit IHRA:s definition av antisemitism utan fortsätter i stället med en stark Israelkritisk linje.

Den nuvarande kristna intressebevakningen på internationell toppnivå motsvarar därmed knappast den syn som en majoritet av världens bibeltroende kristna omfattar. Det är därför närmast en tidsfråga innan nya strukturer skapas för att stå upp för utsatta kristna, bekämpa antisemitismen och värna om andra religiösa minoriteters rättigheter runt om i världen.

Det påminner mig om situationen under den Islamiska statens (IS) rövartåg runt om i Mellanöstern för knappt tio år sedan. På FN-nivå rådde en obehaglig tystnad. Denna tystnad bröts dock när dåvarande israeliska FN-ambassadören Ron Prosor lyfte frågan i FN:s säkerhetsråd. Han såg det som en hederssak att stå upp för förföljda kristna eftersom även hans eget folk hade fått utstå så mycket lidande.

Respekten för människans värdighet och grundläggande rättigheter förenar kristna och judar runt om i världen. Det borde även Kyrkornas världsråd och Evangeliska världsalliansen kunna förstå.

You can read the original artikel here: https://www.varldenidag.se/israelkommentar/kristen-intressebevakning-sviker-israel-och-forfoljda-kristna/repweh!l3we6F229LZgl1kS9D9Cgw/

Tomas Sandell är rådgivare i EU-frågor, grundare av European Coalition for Israel

The post Kristen intressebevakning sviker Israel och förföljda kristna appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Under sina 75 år har staten Israel levt under mångahanda hot. Knappt hade bläcket på självständighetsförklaringen den 14 maj 1948 torkat, innan landet anfölls av fem olika arméer med syfte att driva judarna ut i Medelhavet.

Under de följande 25 åren skulle grannländerna om och om igen försöka med samma uppsåt, dock utan att lyckas. Den judiska staten visade sig vara nästintill oövervinnerlig i konventionella krig.

De senaste femtio åren har konflikten mellan Israel och arabvärlden i stället omdefinierats till en konflikt mellan Israel och palestinierna. Trots att ordet ”palestinier” inte nämns i FN:s delningsplan från 1947 fick begreppet en allt större betydelse efter att den palestinska befrielseorganisationen PLO bildats 1964.

Tidpunkten för bildandet väcker en pinsam fråga: Vilka landområden var det som PLO skulle befria, eftersom brödrafolken i Jordanien och Egypten redan 1964 förfogade över just de landområden – det vill säga Gaza samt Judeen och Samarien – som man krävde som en palestinsk stat?

Med terror som främsta redskap (palestinierna anses allmänt ha varit den grupp som introducerade den moderna terrorismen) har man ända sedan dess försökt besegra den israeliska staten, dock utan att lyckas.

De senaste tjugotvå åren, med början i FN-konferensen i Durban 2001, har denna kamp förts över på den internationella arenan i form av krav på bojkotter, demonisering och isolering av den judiska staten, men utan att ha uppnått målet: en gradvis försvagning av staten Israel till den grad att landet så småningom skulle tvingas retirera och upphöra att existera.

Talar man med israeliska säkerhetsexperter är det dock ingen av dessa hotbilder som i dag bekymrar ledarna i Jerusalem. Hotbilden som dominerar är i stället regimen i Iran. Det palestinska våldet har man nästintill accepterat och ser ingen lösning på kort sikt. De internationella kampanjerna för att isolera Israel lär fortsätta men har tappat momentum allteftersom Israel fått flera vänner i det internationella samfundet, inte färre.

Men ett problem kvarstår och har i dag uppgraderats till ett existentiellt problem: Iran.

Trots den brutala iranska regimens framfart mot sin egen befolkning för att stoppa kraven på frihet har det internationella samfundet inte reagerat. Tvärtom skördar landet diplomatiska segrar runt om i världen, bland annat genom att utses som ordförande i FN:s kommission för mänskliga rättigheter (!).

Iran har dessutom varit inblandat i flertalet terrorattacker på europeisk mark utan att det nämnvärt påverkat relationerna till ifrågavarande länder. Tidigare under sommaren inbjöds Teherans borgmästare till Bryssel för att tala på en internationell konferens, trots att han på hemmaplan är mest känd som ”bödeln i Teheran” med flertalet mord och tortyr på sitt konto. Inbjudan har väckt starka reaktioner i Belgien men kommer knappast att påverka ländernas relationer nämnvärt.

Regimen i Iran svävar inte på målet när det gäller målsättningen i förhållandet till Israel: Den judiska staten ska elimineras, raderas från världskartan. Detta har man upprepat i tal efter tal, inte bara i Teheran utan även på internationella arenor samt i FN-sammanhang.

Trots att FN:s grundstadga stipulerar att samtliga medlemsländer måste förbinda sig att acceptera andra länders suveränitet och under inga omständigheter får hota en annan stat med förintelse, är det ingen som reagerar på Irans klarspråk. Landet är helt enkelt för inflytelserikt och handeln för lukrativ.

Enligt internationella bedömare kan denna skurkstat precis vilken dag som helst ha tillgång till kärnvapen, vilket skulle göra det möjligt att skrida från ord till handling när det gäller deras målsättning med Israel.

Hur reagerar det internationella samfundet? Ingen reaktion alls.

I Jerusalem tar man dock hotet på fullaste allvar. Hela det politiska etablissemanget har försäkrat att de inte kommer att acceptera ett scenario där det judiska folket skulle utsättas för en ny förintelse. Den bistra sanningen är dock att det internationella samfundet inte brydde sig för 80 år sedan, och gör det fortfarande inte.

Religiösa judar ser dock ett hopp. För över 2 300 år sedan utsattes judarna för ett liknande hot av Haman i Persien. Haman föll på eget grepp medan judarna klarade sig. Israels Gud är densamme än i dag.

You can read the original article here: https://www.varldenidag.se/israelkommentar/det-internationella-samfundet-fjaskar-for-israels-storsta-hot/repwge!8eBSiL0mD16sNcSyHWsvkg/

Tomas Sandell är rådgivare i EU-frågor, grundare av European Coalition for Israel

The post Det internationella samfundet fjäskar för Israels största hot appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

The recommendation, which is drafted by Swedish Socialist MEP Evin Incir, takes a very critical line against the Israeli government whereas the Palestinian Authority, which has been the subject of much discontent within the European Parliament in recent years, gets a free pass. In one of the most appalling clauses the recommendation urges the Palestinian Authority to release all political prisoners, which include convicted terrorist operatives from EU black-listed terror groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

However, a proposal from the extreme left to remove these same terrorist organizations from the EU black list did not get the required support of the other parties.

The recommendation, which was adopted by 41 votes in favor and 21 opposed and with 9 abstentions also called for the EU to help the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israel for war crimes.

In a statement on Wednesday, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell promised to continue raising awareness of the flaws of the proposed recommendation before it reaches the plenary session of the European parliament for a final vote either next month or in the first plenary session in September at the latest.
“Europe cannot compromise on its core values and principles by continuing to turn a blind eye on Palestinian terrorism and its culture of hate and incitement”, he said.

In April ECI issued the first comprehensive vote ranking on the national parties represented in the European Parliament and their views on Israel.

“We will continue to keep a close eye on how these various party groups vote in the next plenary session as we prepare for a new vote ranking ahead of next year’s elections to the European Parliament in June, Sandell concluded.

The post ECI appalled at one-sided EP recommendation which calls for the release of Palestinian terrorists appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

MEP Charlie Weimers (left) and Sweden Democrats lawmaker Richard Jomshof visit the Knesset last month. (Photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Some three weeks ago a delegation from the Sweden Democrats made what they had considered to be a historic visit to Israel. No longer would those in the Israeli government have to ask themselves what Sweden’s second largest party thought about Israel. Meeting with the media in the Knesset, MEP Charlie Weimers and MP Richard Jomshof spelled it out; We are friends of Israel and the Jewish people.

Still, as several media outlets have pointed out; there were no official meetings with the government, nor with any members of the Knesset. The Sweden Democrats remain on the Foreign Ministry’s blacklist, which apart from the Sweden Democrats includes parties such as the National Front in France, the Freedom Party in Austria, Alternative for Germany, as well as smaller fringe parties such as Jobbik in Hungary and the Golden Dawn in Greece. Keeping marginalized phenomena such as the Golden Dawn and Jobbik at arm’s length is hardly controversial and has few practical consequences simply because their leaders have no interest in mingling with Israeli diplomats.

But what about the growing number of right-wing populist parties who are currently included in various government constellations across Europe? This excludes the National Front, the Freedom Party and Alternative for Germany but not the Sweden Democrats which plays a crucial role in maintaining a parliamentary majority for the Center-Right government in Sweden.

The Sweden Democrats are not unique. Their roots can be traced back to the Swedish Neo-Nazi movement of the 1980s, although the party has since distanced itself from its past by excluding anyone who have expressed antidemocratic views.

In Spain, the Popular Party, the former political home of Fascist dictator Francisco Franco, made a clear U-turn in relation to Israel in the 1990s. From having been one of the worst enemies of the Jewish state, Prime Minister José Maria Aznar transformed the party into a trusted friend.

The same can be said of the neo-Fascist parties in Italy. Once on the Israeli blacklist, current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was recently warmly received in Jerusalem. Like Aznar before her, she has made it her goal to transform her party, the Brothers of Italy, into a solid friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Among Italian Jews there are still those who have their doubts about her sincerity.

THIS DEBATE is nothing new. During a visit to Israel by then Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini in 2007, many from the Jewish community in Italy warned then-president Shimon Peres from meeting with him. His party, the National Alliance, had clear Fascist roots. Peres was not convinced. He met with Fini arguing that as Jews we don’t have the luxury of turning away anyone who want to become our friend.

In the European Parliament both the Sweden Democrats and the Italian Brothers of Italy are today part of the Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR) which was the ideological home of the British Conservatives before they left the EU. Today, it is the Polish, Italian and Czech government parties which are the dominant voices of this, the fifth largest voting block in the European Parliament. Rumors have it that after next year’s European Parliament elections they may merge with the Center-Right European People’s Party (EPP), in order to further strengthen the position of the Center-Right in the EU.

In a first ever European Parliament ranking on attitudes towards Israel based on voting records, the ECR group came out as the most Israel friendly of all party groups, slightly ahead of the Identity and Democracy group (I & D) which, not surprisingly, also includes several parties which are currently on Israel’s blacklist. The largest voting block, the European People’s Party, came in third.

However, the further Left one gets in the parliament, the more anti-Israel are their voting records. The Spanish government coalition party Podemos scoring 0%, meaning that they voted against Israel on each of the 71 voting instances which were recorded between 2019 and 2022.

The results do not come as a surprise for anyone who have followed EU politics for some time. Israel’s best supporters in Europe are currently on the political Right. The time period that is covered in the vote ranking, from 2019 to 2022, includes the two years when Israel was led by a Center-Left government. The results can therefore not be dismissed as simply criticism of the current right-wing government.

Israel has more support from conservatives in Europe

EVEN WITH liberal Lapid at the helm, Israel has more support from national conservatives in Europe than from the progressive Left. If this development continues Israel may soon be faced with a situation where there are mainly two categories of parties in Europe; those that Israel refuses to talk with and those who refuse to talk with Israel, and even if they do, will vote consistently against the interest of the Jewish state.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has a delicate task to navigate in this increasingly polarized political landscape. Laissez-faire is hardly the answer. There needs to be clear guidelines as to who are credible political partners for Israel but these criteria will have to be clearly spelled out. For example, will a party with a problematic past be disqualified from meeting with Foreign Ministry officials forever even if their current track record indicates that they have since changed course?

Still, it is important to note that it is indeed possible to be overtly pro-Israel while at the same time be anti-Jewish. The 71 voting instances do not cover religious freedom issues such as kosher slaughter or circumcision simply because these issues are not regulated by EU law. On both accounts, the Sweden Democrats are on the record for wanting to ban circumcision and stop the import of kosher meat. (Kosher slaughter was banned in Sweden already in 1938).

Is this the reason for the blacklisting? If so, this needs to be clearly spelled out and applied equally to all parties which have chosen a similar line. The only government in Europe which has come close to banning circumcision is Iceland. However, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir later withdrew her proposal after her socialist colleague, then-secretary-general of the Council of Europe Torbjörn Jagland made a personal appeal to explain how this ban would be incompatible with their progressive values.

What can we learn from this? By engaging in open and frank dialogue among friends we have a better chance of getting our message across. Like Peres, we need to be more pragmatic than dogmatic. Jews already have too many enemies and do not need to make any new ones. Even when people we distrust approach us in good faith we should not slam the door but rather meet and listen before we make up our mind.

The writer is founding director of the European Coalition for Israel.

The post When will Israel start speaking to its friends? – opinion appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

In a telephone conversation with the European Coalition for Israel on Thursday, the convening chair of the new network, MEP David Lega from Sweden emphasised the great potential of the Abraham Accords for the Middle East as a whole. “When the treaty establishing the Coal and Steal Community was signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands in 1952 it was not clear to everyone that this treaty would lay the foundation for the longstanding peace project that would later become the European Union. I believe the Abraham Accords have the same potential to transform the Middle East”, he said.

“Expanding the Circle of Peace” was the theme of ECI’s 20th anniversary symposium in the European Parliament in March where MEP Lega was one of the keynote speakers together with the new network’s co-chair MEP Nicola Beer and vice chair MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen. At the conference Lega called upon the European Union to sign the Abraham Accords as a symbolic gesture of support. This is one of the five objectives of the new network which also include promoting understanding of the importance of the Abraham Accords, reacting to EU proposals and reports, formulating its own proposals and policy initiatives as well as joining forces with similar parliamentary caucuses around the world.

In a concept paper spelling out the vision of the new network, it reads that the Abraham Accords are based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, notably religious freedom.

In a statement on Thursday, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell congratulated the initiators of the new network with a reminder of one of the conclusions of ECI’s 20th anniversary symposium in March: if peace through closer cooperation was possible in Europe it can also happen in the Middle East!

The post ECI welcomes launch of new Abraham Accords network in the European Parliament appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.