Roche went on to elaborate on the economic vision presented in the novel 120 years ago as a solution to the current systemic economic crisis. Although not a religious person, in Altneuland Theodor Herzl presents a blueprint for a society which is neither based on socialism nor on neoliberal capitalism but on the Biblical model of the Jubilee. Roche called it a mutualistic economic order. This model, of which one of its modern days expression can be referred to as the economics of mutuality, gives equal importance to the remuneration of the three pillars of the economy (that is people, land and capital), it repositions the purpose of the economy as to manage scarcities (and not only creating financial wealth) and to foster the creation value by solving societal and environmental problems — vs. profiting from creating societal and environmental problems. Roche’s argument is that the current economic crisis is conducive for the utopia imagined in Altneuland “to want to become a reality” (Martin Buber).

Citing Secretary-General António Guterres, EU Deputy Head of Mission Silvio Gonzato noted that the world is faced with either a systematic breakdown or a breakthrough. “In times of crisis and polarization Altneuland presents a realistic utopia which gives hope and inspiration for the times that we are living in,” he said. “Although originally written as a model society for a future Jewish state, Herzl’s vision included people of all religions and ethnic groups,” he added.

In his remarks the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi of Moscow Emeritus, Pinchas Goldschmidt explained how the democratic and pluralistic society envisioned in Altneuland today is a reality in modern Israel. He commended the co-host, the European Union, for the steps taken in fighting antisemitism and ensuring a future for Jewish people in Europe. Giving a concrete example of one of the practical measure of the EU’s strategy to fight antisemitism, he mentioned the recent conference in Brussels which brought together political and faith leaders in support of the Jewish and Muslim right to practice their religion by allowing for ritual slaughter in accordance with their respective traditions.

Explaining the motivation behind the work of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy, Dr Lafitte stressed the importance of not simply fighting antisemitism but learning to appreciate and celebrate Jewish life and culture. “Jewish culture has vitally contributed to and is now intertwined with the culture of most, if not all, of our nations,” he said.

As the event took place on the second night of Hanukkah, Co-founder of FCD Tomas Sandell closed the evening with a quote from one of the literary texts prepared for the event, Herzl’s short story, the Menorah.

Making a parallel to the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine he read:
”The darkness must retreat. The young and the poor are the first to see the light. Then the others join in, all those who love justice, truth, liberty, progress, humanity and beauty. When all the candles are ablaze everyone must stop in amazement and rejoice in what has been wrought. And no office is more blessed than that of a servant of this light.”

The post FCD co-hosts 120th anniversary of Altneuland on second night of Hanukkah – UN diplomats find inspiration in old novel by Theodor Herzl appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

In his opening speech, conference host and former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon presented the values which he believes will sustain the Abraham Accords, namely tolerance, coexistence and diversity, religion and family as well as economic peace. He added that the new Israeli government’s first priority will be to increase the number of signatories to the Abraham Accords.

In the two-day meeting delegates representing the three Abrahamic religions discussed how the forces of moderation and co-existence can prevail over extremism and radicalization. Iranian born Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, who is the Vice-President of the Global Imam Council, believed that peace between Israel and Iran is closer than ever.
“The people of Iran have seen the fruits of the Abraham Accords and have witnessed how fast peace can be built. They remember the days of Israeli tourists visiting Tehran and long for those days to return”, he said.

Leaders representing the European Union, among them former Prime Minister of Slovenia Alojz Peterle, stressed how the developments in the Abraham Accords reminded him about the early days of European integration when economic cooperation replaced distrust and rivalry.
Member of European Parliament Carlo Fidanza, representing the new Italian government, stressed how the world needs a culture of respect. “Tolerance is not enough”, he said, “we need to learn how to coexist in love and respect of each other.”

Representing the African continent, South Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN, Akuei Bona Malwal summed up the consequences of the Abraham Accords by explaining how many more people around the world can now eat cherry tomatoes without feeling guilty about it. Cherry tomatoes is but one example of Israeli innovations which has penetrated the world market and been made accessible to consumers around the world. He also revealed how Israelis are training South Sudanese students to replicate growing food and sending it through to other countries as exports.

Praising the developments in the Abraham Accords former Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini expressed his concern over the opposite developments in parts of Europe where extremism and radicalization seem to be a growing problem. He mentioned a recent example in his native Finland where a Jewish businessman is currently being targeted with a boycott because of his support for Israel.

In his closing remarks ECI’s Founding Director Tomas Sandell reminded the audience that normalization is modernization. He praised the leaders behind the Abraham Accords for their courage and visionary leadership and called for more European leaders to join this circle of peace by actively engaging with the Abraham Accords.

The post ECI gives closing remarks at Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit in Rome – Time to expand the circle of peace! appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

The EU-Israel Association Council convened this autumn for the first time in ten years. Are we witnessing a renaissance of the EU-Israel relations? The program host Marco Gombacci is joined in the studio of the European Parliament by MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen and ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell.

The post European Report December 2022 appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

By reminding the members of European Parliament in attendance of commitments made to the Jewish people under international law in the Balfour Declaration in 1917, the San Remo Resolution of 1920 and the Mandate for Palestine in 1922 Dr Gauthier urged the international community not to dismiss their obligations under international law. The lecture took place just days after a recent vote in the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), supported by a majority of the member states, asked for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on what they refer to as “the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the Old City of Jerusalem.”

“Neither the UN General Assembly nor the International Court of Justice can create international law but only give recommendations,” Dr Gauthier clarified. He added, “Still, flawed resolutions of the UNGA and politicised advisory opinions of the ICJ are often misused and misrepresented by political activists and others who want to delegitimize the Jewish state. This is why it is so important to remind the international community of crucial treaties and binding commitments under international law, such as the Mandate for Palestine, which gives the Jewish people legal rights to their ancestral homeland Israel.”

Both conference hosts MEP Charlie Weimers and MEP Lukas Mandl agreed that the lecture contributed to giving members of the European Parliament a better understanding of the legal foundation of the State of Israel in an environment which is often hostile towards the Jewish people.

“The nations clearly have a Jewish problem as they consistently neglect rights given to the Jewish people and continue to push Israel in a corner. Jews in Israel are no trespassers or colonisers in a foreign country but are in the land as of right”, Dr Gauthier concluded.

The 100th anniversary lecture was followed by a festive reception in the European Parliament, and on Thursday Dr Gauthier returned to the European parliament building for a recording of the European Report, moderated by ECI’s Tomas Sandell and hosted by MEP Charlie Weimers. In the 27-minute program Dr Gauthier summarised his message from the previous evening.
Watch the European Report here.

Dr Gauthier will continue his speaking tour in the coming days with two events in Geneva. For more information please contact info@ec4i.org

The post ECI celebrates 100th anniversary of the Mandate for Palestine with public lecture and festive reception in the European Parliament appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

The relevance of the Mandate of Palestine today. What does international law say about the legal status of the state of Israel and the old city of Jerusalem? The program host, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell is joined in the studio of the European Parliament by legal scholar Dr. Jacques Gauthier and MEP Charlie Weimers.

The post European Report November 2022 appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

New York, October 6th, 2022

But thanks to a 2014 initiative of the European Coalition for Israel, through the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy (FCD), and the hard work together with the Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN in New York over the course of two Permanent Representatives, Ambassador Ron Prosor (2011-2015) and Ambassador Danny Danon (2015-2020), Yom Kippur was finally recognized as a UN holiday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in December 2015 and came into effect as of 2016.

This recognition means that no important meetings are to be held on this day in order not to discriminate against Jewish delegates and staff.

“This is a small but important step in reforming the UN and making it a better place for the Jewish people”, FCD Co-founders Tomas Sandell and Grégory Lafitte said in a statement in 2015.

In a letter to the Secretary-General António Guterres, dated October 5, they note that this is the 7th year of observance at the United Nations.

They conclude that “Yom Kippur carries a universal message for the international community, enshrined in the Book of Jonah, namely that, even though the rule of law, truth and justice have to remain central, compassion must prevail.”

If you want to know more about Yom Kippur, please watch this video where ECI’s Communications Officer Rebeka Goba interviews Prof. Ephraim Meir on the meaning of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The post Did you know that Yom Kippur is a UN holiday? appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Does the EU respect the values that it was built on? Is it defending freedom of religion in Europe, Middle East and the rest of the world? The program host Marco Gombacci is joined in the studio of the European Parliament by MEP Carlo Fidanza and ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell.

The post European Report October 2022 appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

This Sunday, on the eve of the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah, ECI Communications officer Rebeka Goba will invite friends of Israel on a guided virtual tour of Jerusalem as she meets with local residents to discuss the meaning of the Jewish High Holidays. (FB link for Sunday below in red.)

This is a follow-up to last year’s live broadcast from Jerusalem where Jews and Christians from around the world, from the Pacific Islands to Guatemala, took part in a six-hour celebration with music, dance and well wishes.

In previous years ECI has hosted Jewish New Year ceremonies at the United Nations headquarters in New York with the participation of the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon in 2015 and António Guterres in 2018.

“The Jewish New Year, which each year coincides with the opening session of the UN General Debate in New York, is a good time for retrospection and for taking stock of the shortcomings of the previous years before we enter a new year on a clean slate”, said ECI Director for UN affairs, Gregory Lafitte.

Thanks to an ECI initiative in 2014, the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, is now an official holiday of the UN, during which no official meetings can be held.
“Although the eyes of the nations are currently on the UNGA in New York our thoughts and prayers for a sweet new year, Shanah Tovah, go out to the Jewish community worldwide”, said ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell.

Click here to follow the ECI Facebook live stream on Sunday at 10.00 Jerusalem time (UTC+3)

The post ECI returns to Jerusalem to wish the Jewish world Shanah Tovah! appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

In a recent TV Interview President Raisi said that “more research is needed to verify if there was ever a Holocaust.”

“This form of Holocaust trivialization is simply unacceptable for anyone who is invited to speak in the UN General Assembly Hall given that the United Nations was literally built out of the ashes of the Holocaust. Those who deny these historical facts are doomed to repeat them. Consequently, the Iranian leader has threatened to annihilate the Jewish state”, ECI directors Tomas Sandell and Gregory Lafitte said in their letter.

Sandell and Lafitte reiterated how ECI already in 2012 had brought up their concern with the predecessor of Guterres, Ban Ki-moon as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had then expressed similar views as Raisi. In a speech at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran in August 2012 Ban Ki-moon stated, “I strongly reject any threat by any UN member state to destroy another, or to deny historical facts such as the Holocaust.”

In the letter ECI also expressed their concern over the situation in Chile where the newly elected President Gabriel Boric has refused to accept the credentials of the new Israeli Ambassador in a clear breach of diplomatic protocol, an action that the Chilean Jewish Community has called an antisemitic “double standard.” President Boric has consistently displayed hostility towards Israel and the Jewish people. He has repeatedly singled out Israel for criticism, including accusing Israel of “genocide” and “apartheid”. Furthermore, he has characterized Chilean Jews not as “Chileans” but as “people who live in our country,” thus implying dual loyalty and that Jews are somehow different from other citizens.

Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres is one of the signatories of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism which explicitly lists Holocaust denial or accusations of Israel as a racist endeavour, as clear expressions of antisemitism.

The General Debate of the UNGA begins today Tuesday, 20th September, as representatives of each 193 UN member states are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly. The Chilean President will be one of the first speakers on Tuesday morning whereas the Iranian President is scheduled to speak the following day, on Wednesday.

The post ECI calls for complete ban on Holocaust denial and antisemitic slur at UN General Debate appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.

Brussels, September 7th, 2022

The German government was one of the first to adopt the IHRA working definition on antisemitism which gives examples of contemporary antisemitism, including anti-Zionism.

The presidential address was delivered at the opening session of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches which began last week in Karlsruhe and will conclude tomorrow Thursday. The assembly brings together representatives of around 350 church communities from more than 120 nations. The general secretary elect Dr Jerry Pillay from South Africa recently made headlines when it was revealed that he supports the BDS movement and was on the record of having called Israel an apartheid state. The BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is considered antisemitic by the German Bundestag.

In a private letter to the office of President Steinmeier ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell commended the German leader for his moral leadership in reminding the church leaders of their responsibilities towards the Jewish communities at a time when calls for BDS are heard in many church circles.

Earlier this year ECI brought together senior church leaders to Berlin to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee conference which prepared the way for the implementation of the Holocaust. At the conference the Vice President of the German Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt spoke about the need to build strong alliances in the fight against antisemitism. A growing number of church leaders have since heeded the call to fight Jew hatred by adopting the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and joining the ECI Churches Against Antisemitism network.

In his letter Sandell offered the help of ECI in further strengthening this vital alliance at a time when polarization, radicalization and antisemitism is growing stronger.

The post ECI commends German President Steinmeier for calling upon churches to fight antisemitism appeared first on European Coalition for Israel.