(Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2022)—B’nai B’rith International President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

​A new report by Amnesty International UK is a flawed, damaging and dangerously prejudiced look at Israel—another supposed investigation in a long line of efforts to undermine the only Jewish nation in the world. The results of the report are not a surprise given Amnesty International’s long-standing unhinged responses when it comes to Israel. We reject the accusations and characterizations in the report.

In 211 pages, the report, “Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity,” charges Israel with all-manner of offenses and concludes by asking the British government to reassess its relations with Israel. We call on the British government to reject this theater of the absurd.

Since the report doesn’t limit its charges to Gaza and the West Bank, but instead targets the entire State of Israel, these “findings” usher in a new and disturbing phase in the effort by those seeking to demonize and delegitimize Israel. By expanding its charges, Amnesty is clearly promoting an end to the Jewish state.

In branding Israel an “apartheid” state, Amnesty International UK uses a term favored, promoted and even celebrated by Israel’s harshest detractors. The word resonates painfully with victims of South Africa’s now-abolished formal segregation system and is used in this report, as it is elsewhere in global efforts to undermine Israel, to brand the Jewish state as an illegitimate and even outlaw government.

Use of the term “apartheid” to describe Israel is not just wrong, but an over-the-top effort to provide dangerous ammunition to those seeking the ultimate destruction of Israel. In the real world, Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East, and the only defender of human rights across a region ruled by countless human-rights violating dictatorships. The apartheid slander intentionally mischaracterizes Israel, relying on a hot-button label to ignite outrage against the Jewish state.

The reality is that Israeli Arabs sit in Israel’s current government and on Israel’s Supreme Court. They have the same right to vote as all Israelis. They have their own media. Arabic is an official language of Israel. Amnesty’s libelous claim of  “apartheid” is simply baseless.

Another focus of the report, on the so-called “right of return,” clearly reveals Amnesty’s true motives. Under this narrative, all Palestinians that the United Nations deems refugees have the right to return to pre-state Israel. More than 70 years after Israel’s war for independence, the United Nations has allowed generation after generation to fall under its refugee program. The number of people now deemed refugees would immediately overwhelm Israel and quickly end its existence as a Jewish state.  Amnesty is effectively proposing a one State solution with the destruction of Israel as we know it.

This report should be greeted for what it clearly is: another transparent attempt to exile and eliminate the only Jewish nation in the world. We see through this charade, and we urge the United Kingdom, and other governments that Amnesty might seek to pressure, to reject the inappropriate calls for it to further marginalize Israel.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

 Four Rights Monitors Saluted for Condemning “Zionism-is-Racism” Slur 

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2022)—B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International welcomes United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s reference, in an address on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to a “common definition” of anti-Jewish hatred. He quoted from a critical working definition of anti-Semitism that encompasses prevalent contemporary forms of the scourge—including the delegitimization and demonization of Israel.

The working definition—which has become the consensus one among multiple democracies, experts on anti-Semitism and Jewish communities most engaged in facing it—is that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental body.

The remarks come the day after several U.N.-affiliated experts in Geneva issued a landmark statement rejecting the calling into question of Israel’s legitimacy.

On Jan. 26, four U.N.-affiliated rights monitors in Geneva—Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Alexandra Xanthaki, special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Morris Tidball-Binz, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and Fernand de Varennes RP, special rapporteur on minority issues—cited the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism and condemned “assertions that Zionism, the self-determination movement of the Jewish people, is an inherently racist ideology and a form of racial supremacy."

Noting “antisemitic diatribes” even in U.N. settings, they said: “Not only is this narrative false; it has also shown to fuel resentment against Jews and normalise bias against Jewish communities worldwide.”

B’nai B’rith, which has directly encouraged the U.N. chief to further build upon his personal efforts against anti-Semitism, urges him to formally endorse and apply the IHRA working definition. This embrace of a concrete, comprehensive and up-to-date definition of anti-Semitism would be essential at a time when the animus has persisted and even spread, including in violent forms, around the world. In several countries, Jews are the leading target of faith-based hate crimes, and anti-Semitic incitement is widespread both online and otherwise.

B’nai B’rith’s own annual U.N. Holocaust remembrance event on Jan. 24 featured the secretary-general of IHRA and several high-level figures, including the vice president of the European Commission, who urged utilization of her group’s anti-Semitism definition.

The program, viewable online here, saw new German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock affirm Israel’s security as a “reason of state” for her country, which she said fights “unfounded criticism and hate against Israel.” For his part, days after a hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas—himself the descendant of Holocaust-era refugees—starkly warned that the Holocaust could recur anywhere.

Before the U.N. General Assembly’s passage of an important resolution last week embracing another IHRA working definition—that of Holocaust-denial and distortion—B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs Director David J. Michaels wrote in an op-ed in Newsweek, “We hope member states will join in adopting… an equally vital working definition of antisemitism.”

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, we commend those defenders of universal human rights standing firmly against anti-Semitism not only in the past but also in the present.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2022)--In her first major address before an international Jewish audience since starting her new role, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivered a keynote speech at B’nai B’rith International’s annual event in conjunction with the United Nations’ Holocaust Remembrance Day. She said that Germany “is firmly committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust—today and in the future. We will shoulder our responsibilities, and we will keep facing our past,” adding, “For the new German government, the security of Israel is and will remain inherent to our reason of state. We speak out against unfounded criticism and hate against Israel.”
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The virtual B’nai B’rith program, “Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities for All Society” also featured live remarks by United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who shared personal memories of his mother’s family’s Holocaust experience. Mayorkas talked about foundational principles that define anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, and said that hate manifests in ways we can see but also lingers below the surface. He added that the prevalence of this bigotry continues to present an existential threat and that we cannot assume the Holocaust could not recur. Finally, he noted, “An attack born of hate against one minority is an attack against all.”  Mayorkas—who, like other speakers, commended B’nai B’rith for its relevant work—said that although International Holocaust Remembrance Day is just one day each year, “We know that remembrance is every day, as is the work that must accompany it.”

In his remarks, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas made the point, “Left unchallenged, Holocaust-distortion nourishes anti-Semitism.” He said, “We need to protect our societies from any attempt to rewrite history, and support open and independent research on all aspects of the Holocaust. At the same time, we must step up our efforts to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms, using the definition of IHRA as our starting point.” IHRA is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental body that has adopted critical working definitions of both anti-Semitism and Holocaust-denial.

In advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, B’nai B’rith’s program focused on collective responsibility to remember and to educate about the systematic murder of six million Jews across Europe during the Shoah.

Opening the program, with a global virtual audience this year due to the pandemic, B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin noted: “As we wrote in a letter to U.N. member states” in support of an Israeli-initiated resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly last week, “Holocaust-denial is fundamentally not just about revisionist histories… it is an attempt to deny the past in order to justify present or future violence against the Jewish people and other vulnerable minorities.”

B’nai B’rith Director of U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels and Director of European Union Affairs Alina Bricman moderated two panels of distinguished figures. Panel I focused on government action across the world and featured:

• Irwin Cotler, Canadian Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism
• Ellen Germain, United States Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues
• Fernando Lottenberg, the Organization of American States Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
• Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life

Cotler said, “Anti-Semitism is toxic to democracies. Holocaust distortion is toxic to democracies. We need a global constituency of conscience to combat it.”

Panel II focused on best practices from other diverse fields and featured experts:

• Kathrin Meyer, Secretary General, IHRA
• Daniel Lörcher, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Borussia Dortmund
• Tracey Petersen, Manager of The United Nations and the Holocaust Outreach Programme
• Tibi Galis, Executive Director, Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide
• Omar Al Busaidy, CEO, Sharaka USA

Meyer warned: “Holocaust distortion desensitizes people to anti-Semitic acts… and it’s a disgrace toward the victims and the survivors.” She added, “To remember the Holocaust… is a responsibility of humankind.”

Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, provided a concluding message, introduced by B’nai B’rith U.N. Affairs Chair Millie Magid. Dayan said, “I leave this program encouraged. It’s clear we have an effective, a committed world-wide community of Shoah remembrance.” He stressed the importance of documentation and research. “Documentation is ultimately the testimony of the six million” who were not able to give physical testimony.

B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin closed the program, thanking the guests for “your insights and your critical work,” and urging support for B’nai B’rith’s ongoing efforts on Holocaust memory, combating anti-Semitism and other key objectives around the world.

The complete program, “Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities for All Society” can be found here: https://youtu.be/SsmvSUvii_c.

B’nai B’rith—which has led Jewish communal engagement with the United Nations since the world body was founded in 1945—played an active role in U.N. adoption of International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, and has held yearly events since then at the U.N.’s world headquarters in New York and online.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2022)--B’nai B’rith International’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day event on Monday is expected to feature a keynote speech by new German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
and remarks by United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, among other highlights.

The program, “Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities for All Society,” takes place Monday, Jan. 24, from 
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w7LSxRpkQYKkXQUx2EPfUg

In advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, B’nai B’rith’s virtual program will focus on the collective responsibility to remember and to educate about the systematic murder of six million Jews across Europe during the Shoah.

With opening and closing remarks by B’nai B’rith International President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin—and special greetings by Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, introduced by B’nai B’rith U.N. Affairs Chair Millie Magid—the event will also feature two high-level panel discussions:

Panel I – Institutional responses from across the world

• Irwin Cotler, Canadian Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism
• Ellen Germain, United States Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues
• Fernando Lottenberg, the Organization of American States Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
• Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life

Panel II – Best practices from diverse fields

• Kathrin Meyer, Secretary General, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
• Daniel Lörcher, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Borussia Dortmund
• Tracey Petersen, Manager of The United Nations and the Holocaust Outreach Programme
• Tibi Galis, Executive Director, Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide
• Omar Al Busaidy, USA CEO, Sharaka

The panels will be moderated by B’nai B’rith Director of U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels and Director of European Union Affairs Alina Bricman.

B’nai B’rith—which has led Jewish communal engagement with the United Nations since the latter’s founding in 1945—played an active role in U.N. adoption of Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, and has held yearly events since then at the headquarters of the world body.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2022)—B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International welcomes the Organization of American States (OAS) resolution condemning the recent presence of Iranian official and AMIA building bombing suspect Mohsen Rezai at the inauguration of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.

Rezai has an Interpol warrant against him for his central role in the planning of the 1994 bombing of the building of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds.
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The OAS resolution, sponsored by the United States and Argentina, urges not only the authorities of Nicaragua but also all the members of the Inter-American system and the authorities of Interpol, to respect the arrest warrants and act accordingly.

It is unacceptable for Rezai to be able to travel freely without facing arrest. We welcome the OAS resolution but also urge the Argentine authorities to reconsider the authorization of the trial-in-absentia procedure in Argentina, which would make it possible for the people accused of this heinous crime to be judged, even if they continue to avoid Argentine justice.

This would bring some closure to the survivors of the attack as well as the relatives of the victims and make sure the Interpol red alerts do not fall. The perpetrators of the AMIA bombing have eluded justice for too long and the time to act is now.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2022)--The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), American Hellenic Institute (AHI), B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations held a virtual Ambassadors Forum with the American ambassadors to Greece, Cyprus and Israel, Jan. 19, 2022. 

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus Judith Garber and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt briefed the leadership of each of the four organizations on the 3+1 framework in the Eastern Mediterranean, touching on developments in sectors such as energy, defense and security, commerce and tourism. 

Following the briefing, the organizations issued the following statement: 

“We sincerely thank Ambassadors Nides, Garber and Pyatt for their generous time and for highlighting the importance of the trilateral partnership and the engagement of the United States as part of the 3+1 framework. 

“The 3+1 framework is in the best of interest of the United States as it fosters peace, security, stability and shared democratic values and ideals in a vital region. We will continue to lend our broad diaspora support, ideas and encouragement for advancing the framework, especially as we plan our fifth Leadership Mission to Israel, Cyprus and Greece later this year.” 

Participants 

AHEPA 
Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas 
Executive Director Basil Mossaidis 

American Hellenic Institute (AHI) 
President Nick Larigakis 
AHI Foundation President Leon Andris 
Board Vice Chairman James Lagos 
Board Member Kostas Alexakis 

B’nai B’rith International 
President Seth J. Riklin 
CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin 
Director of B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Alan Schneider 

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations 
Chair Dianne Lob 
CEO William C. Daroff 
Vice Chair Malcolm Hoenlein

Background 
In January 2020, the four organizations completed their fourth Leadership Mission to Israel, Cyprus and Greece. A fifth mission in 2022, delayed due to the pandemic, is planned for later this year. The ground-breaking inaugural mission to the three countries took place January 2014 and led to diaspora support for the tripartite, greater understanding between our communities, and the greater recognition of our common values, intents and aspirations. 

In December 2018, the four organizations co-sponsored an international conference held in Jerusalem titled “New Realities in the Eastern Mediterranean.” 

In August 2011 and December 2012 AHEPA, AHI, B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations co-organized roundtable discussions in New York City between leaders of the American Jewish and American Hellenic communities. 

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 15, 2022)--B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We are relieved that the harrowing hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas ended with all the hostages safe. The four hostages were released unharmed, after being held for some 12 hours.

With synagogue attacks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Poway, California fresh in our minds, we are well aware of how this could have turned tragic.

We are immensely grateful to local and federal law enforcement for their efforts to peacefully and safely end the situation.

The hostage taker reportedly demanded the release of convicted terrorist and anti-Semite Aafia Siddiqui, who is now serving 86-years for attempted murder and assault of U.S. service members.

Threats and violence against Jews—at places of worship, at restaurants, walking down a street, online—have grown at an alarming pace in recent years. We will continue to work within our communities, with local law enforcement and with state and federal officials to help protect Jews wherever they are.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.