Category: Greece

JNS: B'nai B'rith Expresses Concerns Over New Greek Government

1/29/2015

B'nai B'rith International was one of several Jewish organizations that weighed in on the results of the Greek parliament elections, after victories by the extreme Syriza, Independent Greeks (ANEL) and Golden Dawn parties.

Greece has long struggled to combat anti-Semitism, and B'nai B'rith has followed the situation closely, engaging with government leaders to advocate for tolerance and help diffuse tensions.

Here are notable events from the last three years:

‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ read aloud in Greek Parliament
B'rith Leads Historic Three Country Mission (links here, here and here)
B’nai B’rith Alarmed Following Success of Far-Right Parties in Greek Elections
B’nai B’rith Meets With Greek Leaders During Opening of U.N. General Assembly Session
B'nai B'rith Praises Greek Efforts To Curb Anti-Semitism

B'nai B'rith International was quoted in an article on JNS.org, which reflected the organization's concerns for the election outcomes.

Read excerpts from the article below:

Jewish leaders have expressed both hope and concern over the outcome of the Greek election on Sunday, in which the radical left-wing Syriza party won 149 parliament seats and 36.3 percent of the vote.

Syriza officials have called for the end of Israel’s “brutality against Palestinians,” and Panos Kammenos—the leader of the right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party, with whom Syriza formed a majority coalition—garnered accusations of anti-Semitism last December for claiming that Greek Jews do not pay taxes.

Golden Dawn, an extreme-right neo-Nazi party, placed third in results that polls suggested were driven largely by voters’ economic concerns.

The Greek Jewish community consists of about 5,000 people out of the country’s total population of 11.2 million, according to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

The community has experienced rising anti-Semitic sentiment that is correlated with both the country’s economic crisis as well as escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict such as last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.

[...]

B’nai Brith International told JNS.org in a statement that the group is concerned by some “past statements about Israel made by [Syriza] party leaders,” but hopes “that the relationship with Israel, which had been building over the past decade in many fields, will be unaffected by the outcome.”

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Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Praises Greek Efforts To Curb Anti-Semitism

9/15/2014

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B'nai B'rith International was featured on Shalom TV Daily News, commending the Greek government for new legislation that strengthens the country's anti-discrimination laws concerning anti-Semitism.

The law was passed by parliament on Sept. 9, and increases jail time for offenders from two to three years and sets the fine at $34,000 as the maximum penalty for “inciting acts of discrimination, hatred or violence” based on religion, race or disability.

The story begins at the 5:23 mark in the video:

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B'nai B'rith Leadership Accepts AHEPA Humanitarian Award

7/29/2014

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Last Friday, on behalf of B'nai B'rith International, President Allan J. Jacobs accepted the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA)'s 2014 Archbishop Iakovos Humanitarian Award.

The award honors organizations and individuals that "dedicate themselves to defending human and civil rights; religious freedom; and provide humanitarian, spiritual or physical relief to those in need."

As the 19th recipient of this prestigious award, B'nai B'rith International became the first non-Hellenic organization to be honored.

In choosing B’nai B’rith for this honor, AHEPA specifically cited the organization’s work providing affordable housing for the elderly and humanitarian efforts to enhance development in the eastern Mediterranean countries of Israel, Cyprus and Greece, which is of utmost interest to the American Hellenic and American Jewish communities.

Both organizations participated in a historic three-country visit to Israel, Cyprus and Greece in January, the strategic and emerging relationship between the three countries.

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JNS: B'nai B'rith Expresses Concerns Over New Greek Government

Shalom TV: B'nai B'rith Praises Greek Efforts To Curb Anti-Semitism

B'nai B'rith Leadership Accepts AHEPA Humanitarian Award

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