B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is appalled by the latest anti-Israel comments of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Richard Falk, who accused Israel of “genocidal” intentions toward the Palestinians in an interview on the Russia-based television network RT.

Canada has—once again—called for Falk’s dismissal, pointing out that his remarks underscore the absurdity of his role at the United Nations, which continues to be a blight on the UNHRC. B’nai B’rith applauds Canada’s call for his removal, as we have continually monitored Falk’s anti-Israel agitation and urged the termination of his mandate at the world body.

In a Dec. 19 post on his personal blog, Falk celebrated a Palestinian “Legitimacy War” against Israel, even such a war that “does not imply renunciation of violence.” Earlier this year, Falk also blamed the Boston Marathon bombings on American support for Israel. 

Falk consistently undermines the credibility of the United Nations human rights apparatus, and should thus finally be removed from his post. 

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International applauds the introduction of a bill in the U.S. Senate that would increase sanctions against Iran should it fail to meet the criteria laid out in the preliminary nuclear negotiating agreement between the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany) and Tehran.

The Nuclear Free Iran Act, which has strong bipartisan support, would continue to apply pressure on Iran while diplomatic approaches and the negotiating process unfold. The efforts of Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are to be commended for taking the initiative on this important legislation, which sends a clear message to Tehran about the seriousness of the negotiations and the consequences should Iran continue its march toward nuclear weapons.

If enacted, every 30 days the U.S. government must confirm that Iran is holding up its end of the Geneva deal. If the United State finds that Iran operating within the agreement, negotiations would continue under the status quo. However, if Iran violates the agreement, the bill would reinstate sanctions that were eased as a part of the “Joint Plan of Action” and expand them to include restrictions on Iran’s oil trade, as well as its shipping and mining spheres.   

We remain dubious of Iran’s true intentions over its nuclear program given the more than 20 years of deception by the regime in Tehran. This concern has been underscored by its continuing to test ballistic missiles, asserting its nuclear “rights,” continuing to enrich uranium and forging ahead in the constructing of the Arak nuclear reactor—despite the conclusion of the interim agreement.

B’nai B’rith International urges further bipartisan support to adopt this important piece of legislation. We believe the United States needs to continue a forthright approach in dealing with Iran and its nuclear program, and this legislation can greatly strengthen the hand of the P5+1 in the difficult negotiations ahead.

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is outraged over the American Studies Association’s (ASA) vote to boycott Israeli academic institutions because of the Jewish state’s supposed human rights violations against Palestinians. The ASA is the United States’ oldest scholarly organization whose stated mission is promoting the study of American history and culture.

Nearly two-thirds of the ASA’s members who voted on the matter endorsed the boycott.

In yet another attempt to delegitimize the Jewish state, Israel is the first and only country against which the ASA has enacted a boycott. Israel’s universities are widely known for their openness and environment of academic freedom. Therefore it is even more unfathomable that the ASA is not focusing its efforts on the long list of countries which inhibit academic freedom and have long records of human rights abuse.

B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin are in Israel meeting with a wide range of Israeli leaders, legislators and decision makers during a week-long visit to Israel marking B’nai B’rith’s 170th anniversary and cementing ongoing relations with the country’s top leadership. 

The highlight of the visit was a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held together with B’nai B’rith Israel President Michael Nathan and World Center Director Alan Schneider. 

The meeting focused on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Iran nuclear deal, biased treatment of Israel at the United Nations and by the European Union, and economic development. 

“Face-to-face meetings in Israel on the most pressing issues of the day give us insights that we could not glean in other ways,” Jacobs said.

Meetings were also held with Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon; Member of Knesset Isaac Herzog, the newly elected chairman of the Labor Party and head of the opposition; Minister of Tourism Uzi Landau; and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. 

While in Israel, Jacobs and Mariaschin were briefed by Col. Yoram Laredo, deputy commander of the IDF’s field hospital in the Philippines, on his team’s two-week mission during which the hospital provided treatment to more than 2,600 people following the devastating Typhoon Haiyan. (B’nai B’rith opened its disaster relief fund immediately following the typhoon and continues to work with local groups to provide for unmet needs in the community.)

Jacobs and Mariaschin also addressed a session of the B’nai B’rith Israel Board and conferred with B’nai B’rith World Center Chairman and B’nai B’rith Senior Vice President Haim Katz. 

During a visit to the Knesset, Jacobs and Mariaschin met with Member of Knesset Nissim Zeev (Shas), chair of the Lobby for the Struggle Against the Delegitimization of the State of Israel; Member of Knesset Shimon Ohayon (Likud Yisrael Beitenu), chair of the Lobby for the Struggle Against Anti-Semitism; and with Member of Knesset Nachman Shai (Labor), chair of the Lobby for U.S.-Israel Relations and Lobby for Strengthening the Jewish People. 

Other meetings included the visiting President of Guatemala Otto Perez Molina; newly elected Secretary General of the Baha’i International Community Joshua Lincoln; Member of Knesset Yehiel “Hilik” Bar, deputy speaker of the Knesset and secretary general of the Labor Party; senior Israel Foreign Ministry officials; and the ambassadors of Japan, Lithuania and Romania. 

Mariaschin also spoke at an event hosted by the ambassador of Bulgaria marking the 70th anniversary of the rescue of the Jews of Bulgaria.

“The significance of a visit such as this cannot be understated. The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem is our long-standing portal to these important discussions with high-ranking Israeli leaders. We discussed such high-agenda items as our pro-Israel advocacy, the Iranian nuclear threat, our efforts to end the anti-Israel bias of the United Nations and peace process issues,” Mariaschin said.

B'nai B'rith International is pleased that after many months of deliberation the U.S. Congress has passed a budget deal keeping the government funded past the Jan. 15, 2014 deadline. The agreement rolls back a portion of the arbitrary and damaging sequester cuts to domestic programs. While avoiding another government shutdown and escaping a period of budget crises is important, the remaining spending cuts will still be problematic for seniors and we continue to be concerned about spending levels for specific programs for the aging.

This deal does signify a willingness to move forward without the constant threat of shutdowns and will make it easier for providers of aging service to plan for the next two years.

It is important to remember that the appropriations process will still determine exactly how the new overall levels are spent, and there are crucial aging programs that have been short changed in recent years, particularly senior housing. We will continue to work to restore funding in those areas.

B’nai B’rith is also pleased that, with a few notable exceptions, older adults and retirement programs were not asked to underwrite this shift in deficit reduction. We hope going forward that the massive cuts domestic programs have taken to contribute to federal deficit reduction will be recognized and curtailed. The elderly and the poor by and large bear the brunt of the already-implemented domestic spending cuts and these groups should not be asked to be first in line to again sacrifice.

Noted Uruguayan Director of the Youth Symphony Orchestra Foundation in Uruguay Ariel Britos received the 30th annual Fraternidad Award named for Maximo Brenner(Z´L), its founder and then-president of B´nai B´rith Uruguay.
Some 300 people attended the ceremony at B’nai B’rith Hall in Montevideo.

B’nai B’rith Uruguay has been presenting the Fraternidad (Fraternity) Award to outstanding artists from different arts (literature, painting, sculpture, music, theatre, cinema, ballet and dancing) to recognize excellence in these various artistic disciplines. Winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the State of Israel where the B’nai B’rith World Center is responsible for preparing and implementing an intensive itinerary combining tourism with professional interchange, site visits and high-level briefings geared toward fostering ongoing professional ties between the countries.

They also have a one week paid trip to one European country they select, sponsored by the Brenner family in tribute to Maximo Brenner.

Minister of Education and Culture Ricardo Ehrlich joined District 28 President Morris Segal, Maximo Brenner´s widow, Esther Brenner and Israeli Ambassador Dori Goren to present the award to Britos.

Britos and the orchestra have been invited to play in such countries as Venezuela, Panama and Germany. "I feel deeply moved for this award which gives me one of the greatest moments in my career in order to be able to learn from the high level of classic music addressed to young people in Israel."

Officers from the Ministry of Education and Culture; officers from the National Uruguayan Music Institution and the Mayor of Montevideo attended the event.

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is saddened by the loss of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who will be remembered as one of the 20th century’s leading figures and the man who led the transformation of his country from one of apartheid to majority rule.

Mandela, 95, died after years of failing health. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was the first democratically elected president in post-apartheid South Africa, holding the position from 1994 to 1999.  

As president, Mandela worked to create a multicultural society after years of minority rule. His new government in post-apartheid South African wrote a new constitution, investigated human rights abuses by the previous regime, tackled the issue of racism in his country and focused on helping the poor and disenfranchised. 

B’nai B’rith International welcomes the reported invitation to Israel to join the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) at United Nations institutions in Geneva, ending the exclusion of the Jewish state from any regional group at the European hub of the world body, home to the Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Israel’s reported admission to WEOG—a group that includes such countries as Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, with the United States acting as an observer—stands to allay some of Israel’s isolation at the UNHRC, as well as other U.N. entities.

“B’nai B’rith commends all those who played a leadership role in Israel’s long-overdue inclusion in a regional group,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said. “We’ve long advocated for Israel, a vibrant democracy, to be included in WEOG in Geneva, as it has been in New York.”

B’nai B’rith hopes that Israel’s membership in WEOG will encourage other actors within the U.N. system to build upon this progress by effectively tackling the other significant impediments to the fair and equal treatment of Israel at the United Nations.

“Israel’s reported inclusion in WEOG is a positive step, but it has been a long time in coming. Certainly we will watch to see if Israel will now be treated more fairly in Geneva, where it has been a perennial and singular target of political attacks,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “Fairness toward Israel at the U.N.‎ is key to restoring the credibility of the world body, and particularly significant for the U.N.’s human rights agencies as they have consistently shown bias when dealing with the Jewish state.”