Being A voice
In early 2000, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel was invited to a crisis summit in Brussels, hosted by the European Commission, to speak about the rise of antisemitism in Europe. In his speech, he explained how disappointed and helpless he felt and as nobody, except the Jewish communities, seemed to be reacting to the rise of antisemitism.
– “Where are all the others?” he asked.
European Coalition for Israel was formally launched in Brussels in 2003 as “a coalition of all the others,” meaning 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. The coalition has its headquarters in Brussels.
Who We Are
European Coalition for Israel is mobilizing Christian organizations, churches, and grassroots activists from different backgrounds:
- To address issues of growing antisemitism in Europe;
- To argue for a more balanced perspective on the various Israel-related issues;
- To present the historical and legal rights of the modern State of Israel—based on international law and treaties, starting with the San Remo Resolution of 1920;
- To acknowledge and promote the important contributions of the Jewish people, their culture, and values to mankind;
- To support peaceful co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Israel and the Middle East.
ECI was not the first organization, based on Christian values and faith, to express solidarity with the Jewish people; however, it was the first to put these words into action by opening an office in Brussels and engaging with the European institutions.
What We Do
ECI seeks to inform European political leaders in Brussels, in the European capitals, and in the international community about the complex realities in the Middle East.
To achieve this goal, ECI publishes issue briefs and other relevant publications, and organizes conferences and educational events in Brussels and elsewhere in the world.
Our Goal
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nations shall not lift up sword against nations neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4
ECI’s vision can be encapsulated into this quote that is found at the United Nations headquarters in New York.