Institutions on the Holocaust and human rights opened in Belgium and Brazil.

In Belgium, a museum opened last week in Mechelen, a city situated between Antwerp and Brussels where Belgian and German police officers concentrated thousands of Jews for deportation to Auschwitz.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Institute on the Shoah and Human rights, a new organization affiliated with the local branch of the international, Jewish human rights organization B’nai B’rith, was dedicated on Dec. 6...more.

by Daniel S. Mariaschin, executive vice president of B'nai B'rith International

New “questions” about the cause of death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004 at the age of 75, and his recent exhumation, are nothing more than a contemporary take on the classic blood libel. 

Though updated with modern-day lab testing and poisons, the comparison and the vilification are the same. From the Middle Ages on, Jews were charged with using the blood of non-Jews, especially children, for ritual ceremonies. A common theme was the poisoning of wells or causing the outbreak of infectious diseases. These odious charges have been used for centuries to persecute Jews. In these outlandish accusations, blood libels have led to forced conversions, violence and even to the murder of Jews.

In what may well be this century's first blood libel, Israel is accused of killing Arafat, possibly with the chemical polonium-210.

Once this idea was advanced, today’s Palestinian leaders, along with Arafat’s widow, quickly approved the exhumation of his body for testing.

It takes no leap of imagination to see where this is heading. The test results will surely match the preordained outcome. Palestinians have long-accused Israel of killing Arafat. Now, with the name of a toxin in hand, they will link his death to an Israeli plot. The Palestinian street will be stirred up. And Palestinian leaders will now surely use their newly gained U.N. status as a non-member observer “state” to bring this blood libel to the International Criminal Court—looking for international approbation of their blood libel charge.  

This process, eight years after Arafat’s death, has already taken on an international dimension. France (where Arafat died), Switzerland and Russia are all studying samples taken from Arafat’s body.

The Palestinians are well-versed in blaming Israel for their woes. Just look at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' U.N. General Assembly speech on Nov. 29.  Instead of expressing regret that the Palestinians rejected the 1947 partition plan, he blamed Israel's assent to the plan, the original "two state solution," for the "catastrophe" of the Palestinian people. 

While Israel built a thriving, high-tech democracy in the desert, the Palestinians chose to build bombs. It has long-been easier for the Palestinians to blame Israel for everything than to sit down to do the tough work making peace and building a nation.

Of course today’s Palestinian leaders stand to gain popularity if they wrongly connect the death of their most iconic leader to Israel. This is yet another weapon in the Palestinian demonization arsenal.

Medieval blame-gaming is certainly not a path to 21st century coexistence. The Palestinians have gone before the United Nations and they are looking for international recognition and legitimacy. Yet, they are focused not on bridge-building but on finger-pointing. One could understand when there is great skepticism in Israel and elsewhere about being able to resolve such thorny issues as borders and security when one is painting Israel with a totally discredited accusation.

Those engaged in this exercise are clearly more consumed by pursuing hatred than in reaching a real and lasting agreement for peace.

The very quality that helped get Susan Rice in hot water with some in Washington is what pro-Israel groups have come to appreciate -- she is a vigorous and reliable defender of the Obama administration’s foreign policies...

“One thing important to point out is that the votes have reflected administration policy,” said Daniel Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith International’s executive vice president. By contrast, he said, a secretary of state is more a shaper of policy than just its messenger.

Still, Mariaschin said, Rice as U.N. ambassador has demonstrated an understanding of Israel’s difficulties in the international arena.

“There are ways of explaining your vote and ways of explaining your vote,” he said. Mariaschin noted that Rice’s explanation of the U.S. “no” vote last week when the U.N. General Assembly elevated Palestine to non-member state status incorporated many of the talking points conveyed to her by pro-Israel groups.

“She made kind of a good end to an otherwise disappointing day,” Mariaschin said...more.

B'nai B'rith Internacional condenó lo resuelto por la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas al reconocer a la Autoridad Palestina como Estado observador no miembro de ese organismo internacional.

En un comunicado, B'nai B'rith Internacional sostuvo que “el esfuerzo unilateral de los palestinos por actualizar su condición de Estado es una violación de los acuerdos firmados con Israel”...more.

Com atuação voltada à educação para a cultura de paz, instituto é fruto de parceria entre B’nai B’rith, principal entidade judaica dedicada aos Direitos Humanos, e o Laboratório LEER, do Departamento de História da USP.

No dia 6 de dezembro, será inaugurado, em São Paulo, com uma palestra do Prof. Dr. Jacques Marcovitch, ex-Reitor da Universidade de São Paulo, o Instituto Shoah de Direitos Humanos (ISDH). Com a missão de servir como fonte de conhecimento e de auxiliar no processo de educação para uma cultura de paz, o ISDH é uma iniciativa da B’nai B’rith (Filhos da Aliança, em hebraico), principal entidade judaica dedicada aos Direitos Humanos, em parceria com o Laboratório de Estudos sobre Etnicidade, Racismo e Discriminação, do Departamento de História da USP (LEER – USP). A solenidade que marcará o lançamento do instituto acontece na Assembleia Legislativa do Estado...more.

A B’nai B’rith é a favor da solução de dois estados para dois povos, em relação ao conflito israelense-palestino. No entanto, vê com preocupação a iniciativa unilateral da Autoridade Palestina.

A votação na Assembleia Geral da ONU em 29 de novembro de 2012, concedendo status de “estado observador” à Palestina pode minar os esforços de paz. A medida é uma violação dos acordos assinados com Israel e, além disso, desafia o Quarteto Internacional para paz no Oriente Médio, do qual a própria ONU é membro, que diz que os progressos devem ser feitos através de negociações diretas entre as partes...more.