Brussels, March 6th, 2023 – European Coalition for Israel will mark its 20th anniversary with a festive dinner tomorrow Tuesday evening in Brussels followed by a policy conference in the European Parliament on Wednesday morning.
The festivities will coincide with the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the miraculous rescue of the Persian Jews from an imminent genocide some 2300 years ago.
“Over these last twenty years we have seen many groups around the world infected with the same vicious hatred of the Jewish people like Haman, the villain of the Purim story, who already more than two millenniums ago was committed to the extermination of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire”, explains ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell.
He continues, “It was perhaps no coincident that the European Coalition for Israel was formed on the eve of Purim in 2003 but rather an important and timely reminder of the need for modern day Esthers and Mordechais to stand up against today’s threats against the Jewish people and the State of Israel. European Coalition for Israel, who was recently added to the blacklist of the Islamic republic of modern-day Iran, is honoured to play that role.”
Despite this sober reminder ECI will mark its 20th anniversary on a positive note. Sandell explains, “We consider the diplomatic normalisation and the warm people to people peace between Israel and a growing number of former Sunni Muslim enemy states under the auspices of the Abraham Accords to be a true beacon of light in an otherwise troubled world with growing conflicts, wars and increasing tensions.”
During the Anniversary Symposium on Wednesday morning the invited delegates will hear from senior diplomats from Israel, UAE and Bahrain as well as from senior EU officials and leading Members of the European Parliament about how Europe can play a more active role in expanding the circle of peace in the Middle East and around the world.
There will be a chance to watch a live stream on the following address:
https://europarl.webex.com/europarl/j.php?MTID=m59287915ecaf6852d194d19d1aa4e3e4
(Please note that once you open the link you will have to download Webex app. It is necessary for watching the live stream.)