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

B’nai B’rith International congratulates the Israeli people on another successful election in which all citizens were able to exercise their inalienable right to choose their representatives in the government. We join with Israeli citizens in celebrating the election as the ultimate expression of the only true democracy in the Middle East.

Now, the process of forging a governing coalition will begin. The result of this process must be a government that will be able to face the many challenges, both domestic and foreign, that it will surely confront.

These elections are always hard-fought and B’nai B’rith congratulates both prime minister-hopefuls, incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Member of Knesset Isaac Herzog, on campaigning to serve the people of the State of Israel.

B’nai B’rith looks forward to continuing our close relationship with whomever will lead the next Israeli government. 

Regardless of the outcome of this election the continued strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship remains of vital importance. This relationship has endured for many decades because of the fundamental democratic values the two countries share.

B’nai B’rith International sent its annual leadership delegation to Geneva to advocate on urgent issues facing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), including the body’s just deferred “Commission of Inquiry” report on the Israel’s conflict with Hamas during the summer of 2014, the continuing abuse of the Jewish state more generally at the council, Iran's destructive domestic and regional policies, and the widespread unrest in the Middle East.

Some two-dozen B’nai B’rith International leaders and supporters, including with three representatives from the national Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), met with senior representatives from more than 40 countries. B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin led the delegation.

The B’nai B’rith delegation expressed deep concern over the council’s “independent, international commission of inquiry” into Israel’s defensive operations in Gaza during the summer of 2014. Under the chairmanship of Canadian academic William Schabas there was a sense this report would highly biased against Israel. Schabas had previously suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former President Shimon Peres (a Nobel peace prize laureate) should be brought before the International Criminal Court. Eight months into the commission’s “inquiry” it was revealed Schabas had served as a consultant to the Palestine Liberation Organization. Schabas resigned last month in the wake of that revelation and has since been replaced by former-U.S. judge Mary McGowan Davis.

This week the council announced the report’s delay until the June session, but most of the “evidence” had already been compiled under Schabas’ chairmanship. We urged diplomats in Geneva to carefully scrutinize the report that is issued in June for any one-sidedness against Israel.

“Every year B’nai B’rith leaders from around the world come to the Human Rights Council, and every year, sadly, it’s the same: an obsessive and outrageous focus on Israel that even the most deplorable regimes on Earth don’t receive,” Jacobs said. “It is our job to hold the U.N. accountable for this discrimination and hypocrisy.”

More broadly, the delegation focused on “Item 7,” the standing agenda item scrutinizing Israel apart from all other countries, and how the actions of the United Nations and its agencies dampen prospects for peace by encouraging Palestinian unilateralism. The international community’s too-frequent disregard for terrorism against Israel —whether it be car attacks on light rail stations or rockets raining down from Gaza—was also emphasized in the meetings.

“B’nai B’rith has been extremely vocal about the Human Rights Council’s “Commission of Inquiry” and especially about the chairmanship of William Schabas because of his record and that of the Human Rights Council on Israel,” Mariaschin said. “The deferral of the report until June bears watching, but we still remain wary of the outcome. In Geneva B’nai B’rith made sure to inform the international community that anything released that unfairly attacks the Jewish state is an unambiguous politicization of the council by Israel's non-democratic adversaries and should be rejected.”

U.S. Ambassador, Officials Address B’nai B’rith Diplomatic Reception

On March 11, B’nai B’rith leadership held its annual reception at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, hosting numerous ambassadors and other diplomatic officials. Highlights of the evening included remarks from U.S. Ambassador to the Human Rights Council Keith Harper, Israeli Deputy Permanent Representative Omer Caspi and Chief of Cabinet of the Director-General of the U.N. Offices in Geneva David Chikvaidze.

On March 10, Jacobs and Mariaschin attended at dinner hosted by Harper in honor of Israeli Ambassador Eviatar Manor.

In addition to Jacobs and Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith was represented by: Chair of the Executive Board of Directors Gary Saltzman of Denver, Colo.; Senior Vice President Ira Bartfield of Arlington, Va.; Senior Vice President Daniel Citone of Rome; B’nai B’rith Europe President Erika van Gelder of Amsterdam; Helene Briskman of London; Menahem Briskman of London; Eric Engelmayer of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Mike Gellman of Washington, D.C.; Jacques Jacubert of Paris; David Matas of Winnipeg, Canada; Irving Silver of Mobile, Ala.; Dan Tartakovski of Mexico City; and Stéphane Teicher of Paris.

B’nai B’rith International’s Director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels coordinated the visit in Geneva together with U.N. Affairs Program Officer Oren Drori, from New York.

Supporting B’nai B’rith on the ground before and after the arrival of the delegation in Geneva were local B’nai B’rith representatives to the U.N. Klaus Netter, Armand Azoulai, Richard Sadoune, Zary Acher, and Anita Winter from Zurich.

AEPi Executive Director and B’nai B’rith Board of Governors Member Andy Borans of Indianapolis, Ind., represented the fraternity, along with Civic Engagement Coordinator David Marias of Indianapolis and UC-Santa Cruz student Anthony Milgram. 

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

B’nai B’rith International condemns the attack on a busy light-rail station in eastern Jerusalem by a Palestinian man who plowed his car into six Israeli soldiers and a civilian bicyclist, injuring all seven.

After striking the crowd of people, the alleged assailant, identified by local media as Mohammed Salayma, exited the vehicle wielding a knife. He was shot by security forces and severely injured.

The attack was exactly like two previous attacks in the fall that killed a total of two people—including an infant—and wounded 21 others.

This is another example of the constant threat faced by Israel and Israelis from terrorist organizations and those indoctrinated with hate. The lack of outcry from the international community at a time of increasing focus on terrorist organizations, particularly in the Middle East, is alarming. 

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a compelling case before the United States Congress today to ensure Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. We welcome his contributions to the discussion about this issue and the current P5+1 (United States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom) negotiations.

In his address Netanyahu talked about the Israel-U.S. partnership: “We must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation and terror.”

As he has for many years, Netanyahu once again used his voice to speak out against the Iranian threat.

The prime minister told Congress: “Iran’s regime is as radical as ever,” and noted “the greatest dangers facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons.” We can’t let that happen, he told the joint-congressional meeting.

Most recently, B’nai B’rith noted that even during the long months of negotiations, Iran has continued to sponsor international terror organizations, enrich uranium, defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), pursue plans to build intercontinental ballistic missiles and hide the military dimensions of its nuclear program. Iran’s actions during negotiations seemingly offer a clear blueprint for how it would act once a deal is in place.  

Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of global terrorism. We concur with Netanyahu’s deep concern over Iran’s global aggression, even as the P5+1 negotiations have been underway.

A nuclear-ready Iran has consequences that would resonate far beyond Israel and the United States. It is incumbent on the negotiators to consider this and not enter into a bad deal, one that that puts Iran a giant leap closer to nuclear weapons capability.

Netanyahu clearly noted that the alternative to a bad deal is a better deal. B’nai B’rith agrees that restrictions on Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons must be securely in place and that the points he raised to strengthen a deal be seriously considered by the negotiators while there is still time to effectuate the change.  

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

B’nai B’rith International lauds the jury in a New York federal court for handing down a historic verdict in the battle against terror, finding the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) liable for terrorist attacks that killed 33 Americans and injured more than 450 during the Second Intifada.

The plaintiffs included 10 American families whose relatives were killed or injured from 2002 to 2004. They argued that the PA and PLO provided direct and ancillary assistance to the perpetrators of these terrorist attacks, as well as financial compensation to those imprisoned and to the families of those who died. The U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York jury awarded the plaintiffs $218.5 million in damages, a figure that triples to $655.5 million under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. 

In an era of rising terrorism, this verdict sets a legal and moral standard for the often onerous pursuit of justice against perpetrators. Moreover, this verdict is a symbolic victory for the families of those Americans killed by the PA and the PLO in the past, such as the U.S. Ambassador to Sudan Cleo Noel, Jr., who was taken hostage and shot by PLO militants in 1973.

No sum of money can ever heal the pain and suffering of the victims’ families, but this decision, for the first time, has brought a measure of justice to those seeking redress for these murderous acts.

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

B’nai B’rith International condemns the kidnappings of at least 90 Assyrian Christians by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group in northeast Syria, in a horrendous act that appears to be a “retaliatory” measure for the latest Kurdish offensive.

B’nai B’rith urges the international coalition currently fighting ISIS to utilize all necessary means to avoid the massacre of these innocent people.

This is the latest example of both ISIS’ brutal tactics and its targeting of a minority group. Among other atrocities, ISIS assailed the Yazidis in Iraq by starving them on a mountain top and enslaving hundreds of women.

Furthermore, this diabolical act merely adds to the steady drumbeat of violence against Christians, their churches and property throughout much of the Middle East. Just this month Libyan militants claiming loyalty to ISIS released a video featuring mass beheadings of Egyptian Coptic Christians.

ISIS and other fanatic Islamist groups are a plague on the Middle East and the world. They must not be allowed to grow or spread their toxic program of violent hatred.

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

With reports that the P5+1 (United States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom) and Tehran may be close to a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, B’nai B’rith International expresses its ongoing concern about the viability of the plan.

Media are reporting that talks are wrapping up between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Mohammed Zarif, foreign minister of Iran, with the outlines of a possible long-term agreement reached about Iran’s nuclear activities.

With a month to go before this initial framework is to be implemented, B’nai B’rith urges the White House and the P5+1 to toughen their approach on Tehran to close gaps in the agreement on such issues as plutonium enrichment, intrusive inspections, and the possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran’s nuclear program.

The global ramifications of Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons are immense. It is important that the parameters of an agreement undergo additional scrutiny and debate before a deal is struck. We appeal to the administration and the P5+1 to revisit these issues and others lest we find in a decade or less that Iran is nuclear weapons ready. Reports indicate that a plan is emerging that would limit Iran’s ability to produce nuclear material for 10 years, but would include a provision loosening those restrictions in the final years of the deal. This is a major concern to us.

Skepticism of Iran’s true nuclear intentions is natural, in light of the regime’s own words and actions.

Just a few months ago, Iranian General Mohammad Ali Jafari said: “The range of (our) missiles covers all of Israel today. That means the fall of the Zionist regime, which will certainly come soon.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that same month: “Whether a nuclear agreement is achieved or not, Israel will be more insecure each day.”

Even during the long months of negotiations, Iran has continued to sponsor international terror organizations, enrich uranium, defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), pursue plans to build intercontinental ballistic missiles and hide the military dimensions of its nuclear program. While there is still time, these concerns must be addressed by negotiators. Additionally, Iran continues to extend its influence in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and now Yemen, continues to abuse human rights, denies rights to political opposition groups, and has jailed a Washington Post reporter in Tehran. If Iran is so defiant while negotiations are underway, what can we expect once a deal is signed?

A nuclear-ready Iran has consequences that would resonate far beyond Israel and the United States. It is incumbent on the negotiators to consider this and not enter into a deal that puts Iran one step closer to nuclear weapons capability.

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

B’nai B’rith International mourns the loss of 4-year-old Adele Biton, who died yesterday due to complications from pneumonia, two years after she was critically wounded in a Palestinian terror attack. Biton’s death should further highlight the fact that stone-throwing is not a peaceful protest, as is sometimes portrayed in the media, and can lead to deadly consequences.

In a 2013 attack near Ariel, Israel, Palestinian attackers threw stones at a truck, causing the driver to slam on the brakes. Adele, her mother Adva Biton, and two sisters were in the car behind the truck. They were also hit by the stones and Adva lost control of the vehicle, striking the truck in front of them. Adele was critically injured in the attack and sustained major neurological injuries as a result.

Adva is adamant that because of the injuries Adele incurred during the attack, her body was unable to deal with pneumonia, resulting in her death.

B’nai B’rith’s thoughts and prayers go out to Adele’s family during this trying time. 

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

The weekend shooting attacks in Copenhagen on a synagogue and a free speech seminar are frighteningly similar to the January terror spree in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher market.

Two people were killed in the Copenhagen attacks.

B’nai B’rith expresses our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two men killed in the Copenhagen attacks: Dan Uzan, a 37-year-old member of the local Jewish community, who was serving as a volunteer guarding a synagogue during a bat mitzvah ceremony; and Finn Nørgaard, 55, who was attending the free speech seminar.

Recent attacks on Jewish sites in Europe indicate violence linked to anti-Semitism is becoming more common.

Just days earlier, a German court ruled the firebombing of a synagogue in Wuppertal was not anti-Semitism. Instead, the court determined the attack was meant to bring “attention to the Gaza conflict.”

The ruling sends a dangerous and troubling message that terrorists can hide blatant anti-Semitism behind a different label and escape punishment.

The two adult attackers and their 18-year-old accomplice in the Wuppertal firebombing were ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. The adults involved in the case each received suspended prison terms.

It is a perilous time as anti-Semitic attitudes increasingly masquerade as anti-Israel political statements. Violence against Jews and their houses of worship should be punished accordingly—as the hate crimes they are.