Iranian Jewish Leader Executed by Iran in State-Sponsored Killing May 10, 1979

​(Washington, D.C., May 10, 2022)—B’nai B’rith President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

Today we pause to remember Habib Elghanian, a victim of Iran’s brutal state-sponsored regime, killed on this date in 1979.

Elghanian was the president of the Tehran Jewish Society when Iran’s tyrannical regime began civilian executions. Targeted because he was Jewish, Elghanian was a generous and forward-thinking philanthropist who aided many aspects of Iranian life, including funding the Hosseinieh Ershad Mosque in Tehran.

Though today we specifically remember Habib Elghanian, his murder serves as just one example of more than four decades of Iran’s terror, both within Iran and globally.

May his memory always be a blessing.

 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., March 15, 2022)--B’nai B’rith President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

Since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, B’nai B’rith has mobilized teams around the world to meet the needs of refugees as well as of those suffering the extreme war-time conditions in Ukraine.

Right now, B'nai B'rith is sponsoring a shipment of vital medical supplies to be shipped from Warsaw, Poland, to Lviv, Ukraine. Among the items to be delivered are spinal anesthesia systems, casts and dressings, antibiotics, sutures and wound drainage systems.

We are also providing 1,000 jars of baby food and cereal, plus warm clothing, personal hygiene items, dry food goods and other essentials to a refugee center in Warsaw.

In addition, we have sent funds to Moldova to assist with temporary housing and other essentials for refugees crossing to safety in Moldova.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, we are working with aid teams in Ukraine and at various border crossings to assess and meet immediate and longer-term needs.

Our Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund is open for donations.

Dear Friends,

As we enter a second Shabbat since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are focused on the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there.

With more than a million refugees so far, the mass exodus is frighteningly reminiscent of the refugee crisis across Europe during World War II. At the same time, the situation for those remaining in Ukraine is dire, with Russia indiscriminately attacking civilian areas. 

B’nai B’rith International, B’nai B’rith Europe, B’nai B’rith UK, B’nai B’rith in Italy and in Germany are mobilizing to help with immediate essentials as well as long-term needs for the Ukrainian people.

On March 1, we were briefed about the situation on the ground by two Ukrainians. They both described the conditions in the cities and towns: Dark and cold homes, sheltering in subways, food and fuel scarcities, not enough munitions. These were chilling, real-time accounts.

Ukraine was a center of Jewish life in Europe for centuries, even as the history of the Jewish people in Ukraine is fraught with tragedy and filled with accomplishment. The Babyn Yar memorial—which was damaged on March 2 by Russian strikes on a neighboring TV tower—stands as witness to the 33,000 Jews murdered by the Nazis in Ukraine.

The trans-Atlantic alliance’s unity in condemning Russia is a welcome and important show of solidarity. In addition, major retailers are closing their stores in Russia. Movie studios are holding off releasing films there. The Paralympics have banned Russian athletes and international soccer is banning Russian teams from competition at the highest levels. Even individual bar and liquor store owners around the world are refusing to sell Russian vodka. These global actions from so many disparate industries demonstrate a unified sense of purpose unmatched in recent memory.

Ukraine’s Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a true hero—sometimes described as a modern-day Maccabi. His strong defiance against Russia demonstrates a personal bravery that should be a point of pride for all Jews.

Our efforts to help the people of Ukraine will not falter. Help us meet these needs today. Our Ukraine Assistance Fund is open. Please donate here.

With hopes for peace on our minds, Shabbat Shalom.

Seth J. Riklin, B’nai B’rith International President        Daniel S. Mariaschin, ​B’nai B’rith CEO

Supports Fundraising Efforts to Aid Jewish Communities

(Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2022)—B’nai B’rith President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

​We are deeply dismayed by Russia’s invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The West’s uniting to condemn this unprovoked attack by Russia and its violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine is a welcome show of global solidarity.

In his statement today, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid noted his country’s war experiences and said Israel is “prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Ukraine.”

The prospect of a significant humanitarian crisis is of great concern to B’nai B’rith International.

We support the effort of B’nai B’rith UK to assist Jewish communities in Ukraine. Funds collected will allow the purchase of medicines and provide financial aid for the Jewish community. In addition, B’nai B’rith in Italy has launched its own relief campaign. The B’nai B’rith Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund is always open to accept donations. Donate here.

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. 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.

(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., July 16, 2021)--B’nai B’rith International hosted a two-part virtual series—Hezbollah: Sowing Global Terror—in advance of the anniversaries of two deadly attacks on Jews.

The bombing of the AMIA building in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and wounded more than 300 took place July 18, 1994. Terrorists detonated a car bomb, killing and maiming those who worked at the AMIA (the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) building and destroying the structure that housed so many Jewish Agencies in Buenos Aires. It was the deadliest terror attack ever in Argentina.

In 2012 on the same date, a suicide bomber blew up a passenger bus carrying Israeli tourists from Tel Aviv at the Burgas Airport in Bulgaria. The explosion killed the Bulgarian bus driver and five Israelis and injured 32 other Israelis.

Even though there is ample evidence that Hezbollah—a terrorist group that's a proxy of Iran—is behind both attacks, there is reluctance to tackle the terrorist organization head-on to this day.

In Part 1 of our series, “Commemorating AMIA,” we spoke with Luis Czyzewski, the father of a victim, about his search for justice. The interview, in Spanish with simultaneous English translation, was conducted by Adriana Camisar, B’nai B’rith’s Special Advisor on Latin American and U.N. Affairs from Argentina, with a special introduction by CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin. Czyzewski, whose 21-year-old daughter, Paola, was killed in the attack, has spent the last 27 years fighting for justice for his daughter and all of the victims of the attack. That unforgettable, tragic day was the first time Paola ever entered the AMIA building. She was visiting during a break from her law studies to assist her parents, who both worked at AMIA.

Czyzewski noted that there is no method, formula or book that says how to move forward after such a horrific loss. That the families of the victims have a burden they will carry throughout their lives. He said the many investigations into the bombing have revealed much about the attack, but that what we don’t have are convictions.

Camisar and Mariaschin commended Czyzewski for his courageous fight for justice.

In Part 2, “Shared Threads: AMIA, Burgas and Other Global Terror Attacks,” Mariaschin interviewed two experts about Iran’s proxy terror arm, Hezbollah, and its malign global reach. Guest Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of its Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. Our 2nd guest was Gustavo Perednik, whose long resume includes writing two books dealing with the work of his friend, the late AMIA case prosecutor Alberto Nisman, “To Kill Without a Trace” and “To Die for Argentina.”

Perednik said that Nisman would have approved of combining AMIA and Burgas for commemoration, because he would have appreciated the connecting of the dots between multiple attacks and how the linked events expose Iran’s influence in terrorist attacks across the world—and by extension its guilt. Levitt said the Burgas attack didn’t happen in a vacuum and also observed that Hezbollah sees terror against innocent civilians as a legitimate path to achieving its objectives.
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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 bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., July 11, 2021)—B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

As co-sponsors of today’s NO FEAR: A Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish People, in Washington, D.C., we are proud to stand with all those who declare that it’s time to push back the rising tide of anti-Semitism, in the United States and around the world.

Anti-Semitism is everyone’s problem.

We echo the sentiments of today’s speakers. Meghan McCain noted, "We cannot be quiet and we cannot be silent and first and foremost, above all else, we cannot be scared."

The fight against anti-Semitism needs a wide, diverse coalition. Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman told the crowd, "The fight against anti-Semitism is a bipartisan issue." And Hussein Aboubakr, Egyptian American activist, said, “anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism, whether from a Muslim, a Christian, an atheist or even a Jew."

Joshua Washington, executive director of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel was adamant that a firm commitment to fighting anti-Semitism is vital. "If there’s one message I want to leave you with it’s do not concede. Do not concede a single inch of your humanity. Do not concede a single inch of your heritage."

Sienna Girgenti, B’nai B’rith’s program director for Strategic Engagement, along with Trey Meehan, chair of B’nai B’rith Connect-D.C., who represented us at the rally today.

B’nai B’rith’s None Shall Be Afraid initiative provides resources for identifying and combating the world’s oldest hatred. Learn more here: https://www.bnaibrith.org/none-shall-be-afraid.html.

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 bnaibrith.org.

On August 31, B’nai B’rith Will Lead Communal Response to 20th Anniversary of Event Poisoned by Anti-Semitism

(Washington, D.C., May 3, 2021)—B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International, which brought the largest multinational Jewish delegations to the 2001 World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, and its follow-up meetings in 2009, strongly commends the United States for having reportedly committed not to take part in a United Nations summit marking the event’s 20th anniversary in September. The 2001 conference was poisoned by manifestations of virulent anti-Zionism and open anti-Semitism.

B’nai B’rith, which has led Jewish engagement at the U.N. since the world body’s founding in 1945, will spearhead the community’s response to the forthcoming summit with a major event on August 31.

Over the past year, B’nai B’rith—which also organized a high-level event in New York upon Durban’s 10th anniversary in 2011—has worked to ensure continued awareness of Durban’s toxic legacy by speaking publicly on the topic at U.N. forums, publishing relevant commentary and privately reminding ambassadors from around the world that the fight against racism must not be undercut by crass politicization and outright bigotry.

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action singled out only one country—the world’s only Jewish state and the Middle East’s only pluralistic democracy, Israel—for obscene implied characterization as racist. The 2001 conference’s NGO Forum went even further, defaming Israel alone as a “racist apartheid state”—and urging discrimination against those engaging with it—while Jewish participants were subjected to shocking physical and verbal abuse. As a result, B’nai B’rith led a Jewish walkout at Durban—joined ultimately by key democratic countries. The subsequent 2009 Durban Review Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, was nonetheless addressed by Holocaust-denying Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

B’nai B’rith salutes the U.S. administration for taking a principled decision, like its predecessors, to deny legitimacy to a U.N. framework that purports to fight prejudice but is fundamentally marred by it.

We urge all countries of goodwill to do similarly—and we will continue to insist that all forms of hate, including those targeting Jews, not be given a platform by foremost international institutions.

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.