(Washington, D.C., Nov. 4, 2019)--B’nai B’rith International’s 2019 Leadership Forum, which featured prominent speakers from the diplomacy, public policy and media realms and a special reception for participants at the residence of the Japanese ambassador, concluded today after three days of programming for leadership from around the world.    
 
In his State of the Organization address, President Charles O. Kaufman spoke about the ways B’nai B’rith is active around the world in combating anti-Semitism and fighting for Israel on the world stage, as well as our work with senior housing and aiding communities after natural disasters. Kaufman also presented the President’s Award to 30 individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty to advance B’nai B’rith’s mission.
 
“B’nai B’rith has a long and distinguished history of leadership in taking strong stands on behalf of our people around the world. And we made our collective, global voice heard once again,” Kaufman said. “However, understanding that the pen can be mightier than the sword, I decided that a direct way to confront emerging hate was through correspondence. I took to the keyboard in protest letters regarding situations at Jewish museums in Berlin, Munich and Warsaw. I continue to follow these issues closely. Our actions were followed in the Jerusalem Post and The Economist, among other places.”
 
B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin delivered a stirring address on Sunday morning about the global challenges of anti-Semitism. “Whether it occurs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or Warsaw, Poland, or Crown Heights, Brooklyn, anti-Semitism must be confronted aggressively,” Mariaschin said. “The responsibility to do so falls squarely on all of us, together with our allies and all people of conscience. Just as the very existence of the Jewish people and the Jewish state is a product of hope and determination, we must continue to apply these qualities to the challenge at hand. The security of our community depends on it.”
 
Ambassador Gonzalo Koncke, chief of staff for Organization of American States Secretary General Louis Almagro (who delivered a video greeting to the Leadership Forum) and Eduardo Kohn, B’nai B’rith International’s director for Latin American affairs, participated in a discussion about the security outlook of the Western hemisphere.  
 
Koncke emphasized the OAS’s commitment to fighting anti-Semitism through the promotion of human rights and democracy. He acknowledged that the OAS has a lot of work to do, including advocating for all countries in the region to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.
 
Three security experts participated in a panel entitled “Global Security Threats at Home and Abroad.” Patrick Daly, principal deputy director/chief operating officer, Secure Community Network; Calvin A. Shivers, deputy assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division, FBI; and Frances Townsend, executive vice president of worldwide government, legal and business affairs, MacAndrews & Forbes, Inc., president, Counter Extremism Project, and former homeland security advisor to President George W. Bush participated.
 
The three focused on fighting domestic and international terrorist threats in the age of the Internet and social media, noting that seemingly every week, a new platform is unveiled, and radical groups strike a balance between public posts intended to motivate and inspire and private direct messages between peers. Because terrorist manifestos are proliferated quickly online to the Internet’s echo chamber, the attack cycle is much shorter now and those who commit terrorist acts are able to telegraph their intent within hours of the action. Shivers provided insight into how the FBI investigates anti-Semitic threats in the United States: “We have to ensure that, where we have a single [anti-Semitic] act, we look through all the intelligence we have to make sure it’s not...a larger conspiracy.” On the international front, Townsend said:  “The single largest state sponsor of terrorism remains Iran. We have never seen a more aggressive Iran in our lifetime.” Daly explained that there has been a shift to an equal number of domestic and international terrorist investigations, although we had been blessed with geographic boundaries as a security buffer from international terrorist threats for so long.
 
Director of the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Alan Schneider broke down the complicated Israeli elections during a luncheon presentation.  
 
Richard Green, executive director of the Clarion Project, screened his film “Kids: Chasing Paradise.” This chilling film examines the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists around the world, many of whom are vulnerable young children. Green answered questions from the audience after the movie.
 
Day two of the conference concluded with a reception at the residence of the Japanese ambassador, hosted by Ambassador Shinsuke J. Sugiyama and his wife. Kaufman gifted a tzedakah box to Sugiyama, who spoke movingly about the Holocaust: “This is not about your history. This is about human history. We shall never let it happen again.”
 
The Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany), which represents Holocaust survivors and their descendants in negotiating for restitution and compensation, received an award for its vital six decades of work from B’nai B’rith on the conference’s final day. With the award, B’nai B’rith extended its great appreciation for the tireless efforts of the Claims Conference on behalf of Holocaust survivors worldwide.  
 
Mariaschin moderated a panel analyzing the 2020 American elections with CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash and NPR Washington Desk Correspondent Mara Liasson. They discussed topics including immigration, voter turnout, the divide between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party and Israel being used as a wedge partisan issue.
 
The 2019 Leadership Forum concluded with a diplomatic luncheon featuring Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States Marios Lysiotis, Ambassador of Greece to the United States Haris Lalacos and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Israel Benjamin Krasna. The diplomats emphasized the historic and continuing ties between Greece and Cyprus and the Jewish people.
 
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
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(Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2019)--This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, which left 11 worshipers dead, wounded others, and brought the specter of deadly anti-Semitic violence into the spotlight in the United States.
 
In the immediate aftermath, the B’nai B’rith Disaster and Emergency Relief Committee raised money for the Pittsburgh Healing Fund. We are now distributing these donations toward mental health support for survivors and a program to assist first responders.
 
In choosing where to offer aid, the B’nai B’rith committee wanted to focus on the mental health needs of the community and will allocate funds to support programs administered by the Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS) of Pittsburgh, including ongoing support groups to assist with treatment of trauma. JFCS will run projects for youth and teens through the schools, including an art therapy program professionally staffed to provide art services and traditional psychotherapy. There will also be programs for seniors and young professionals.
 
The B’nai B’rith fund will also support a program to assist first responders coordinated by the Police Benevolent Fund.  
 
A symbolic tribute to victims from the congregations worshipping at the Tree of Life Synagogue building at the time of the attack (Or L’Simcha, Dor Hadash and New Light) will be made to Tree of Life.  
 
B’nai B’rith International has stepped in to help after natural and man-made disasters around the world since 1865. If you would like to help us help communities in need, donate here to our Disaster Relief Fund: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/bbi-disaster-relief
 
Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone. Or can send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to:
 
​B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036
 
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
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 (Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We condemn the vile anti-Semitic attack that took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, outside a synagogue and inside a kebab shop in Halle, Germany.
 
The shooter uploaded a graphic video to the Internet blaming Jews for immigration and feminism and showing off the weapons in his car before driving to the synagogue and shooting. He murdered two people and wounded an additional two. Only the synagogue’s security measures, which included locking the doors of the building, prevented a massacre inside the synagogue. German law enforcement eventually pursued the shooter and has him in custody. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and others expressed concern that the synagogue itself was not guarded by police and that police took more than 10 minutes to arrive at the synagogue.
 
This terrorist attack should be met with a renewed resolve of solidarity within the Jewish community and beyond. We also call on Twitch, the platform the shooter used to upload his video of the massacre, to more closely monitor the content that it allows to be live-streamed. More than 2,000 viewers watched the video of the shooting before it was taken down. Social media platforms must be held responsible for the hate they allow on their platforms.
 
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.or

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

B’nai B’rith International is deeply disappointed by the U.S. government’s intervention on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) as it petitions a New York federal court that ruled the 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 administration filed a “statement of interest” expressing its concerns of a PA financial collapse should the Palestinian government be forced to pay out $665.5 million in damages to 10 American families.

The historic ruling was announced in February when the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York jury sided with the plaintiffs, awarding them $218.5 million in damages, a figure that triples to $655.5 million under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. It was the first case successfully prosecuted under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

There needs to be a price paid for committing acts of terror and the means available to prosecute those responsible. While the victims’ families cannot bring their loved ones back, they can go to the courts to achieve redress. That is the process that led to the court’s ruling.

If the Palestinian leadership, and those who plan and give the orders to carry out terrorist acts, know they can escape any punishment in the United States, what barrier would there be to additional attacks against American citizens?

The judgment of the court should stand.

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 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:

B’nai B’rith strongly condemns the terror attack that left at least 12 dead and 10 wounded in the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Three masked gunmen stormed the building seeking out those who worked at the paper. They escaped after hijacking a car. A city-wide manhunt is underway.

In the letter to French Ambassador Gérard Araud, B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin extend their thoughts and prayers to all those affected: “During this difficult time, we would also like to convey our deepest condolences to the families of all the innocent victims of these despicable attacks and express our sympathy and support to the city of Paris.

“For over 170 years, B’nai B’rith International has condemned all senseless acts of violence. Today we recognize global terror as one of the world’s greatest challenges, and we have remained steadfast in our efforts to combat it.”

It is being reported that the paper has been the recipient of threats following the publication of a Muslim-related cartoon.

Read the full letter here.

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

B’nai B’rith International is outraged the European Court of Justice ruled that the terrorist group Hamas must be removed from the European Union terror list. The court instructed Hamas to be removed on “procedural grounds,” saying in a statement that the European body did not place Hamas on the list after examining the organization’s leadership decisions and actions, but because of “factual imputations derived from the press and the internet.”

Even though this ruling has been declared a technical matter by the European External Action Service (EEAS), it will unacceptably open the door to the questioning of Hamas’ existence as a terrorist group. There should be no question that Hamas is an organization that’s mandate is terror and which has a repeatedly-stated commitment to the destruction of Israel. The court's conclusion that Hamas was placed on the terror list simply due to media reports is absurd.

B’nai B’rith urges all parties affected by this ruling to act quickly in relisting Hamas as a terrorist organization. The court continued a freeze on Hamas’ assets in Europe, as well as other restrictions placed on the terror group for a three-month span to allow for an appeal or other action by the EU. B’nai B’rith encourages the EEAS to proceed accordingly, and with urgency, in order to help move the European Court of Justice toward resolving this matter. If there is no expeditious effort to relist, it would be another blatant example of the hypocritical and deeply unconstructive manner in which Israel is often treated in the EU.

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

B’nai B’rith International condemns the latest anti-Israel terror attack, this time at the Israeli embassy in the Athens suburb of Psychiko where men on motorcycles opened fire with Kalashnikov automatic rifles on the front of the building early this morning. Fortunately, no one was injured.

B’nai B’rith commends Greek authorities for reacting swiftly, deploying police to the crime scene and vowing to bring the perpetrators of this terrorist attack to justice.

As we’ve seen in recent months and weeks, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise and they must be stopped. B’nai B’rith has repeatedly brought to light the troubling silence of the international community over these acts of terror, as well as  the need for European governmental and law enforcement officials to engage in proactive efforts to counter these attacks. 

Palestinian Leadership Must End Incitement

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


B’nai B’rith is outraged by the latest terror attacks against Jews in Israel.

This time, gun and axe-toting terrorists murdered four Jews and seriously wounded at least six others praying at a synagogue in Jerusalem.

The issue of incitement is ever present as reports indicate public praise for the attackers and a celebratory atmosphere in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Palestinians.

To attack people as they pray is the height of depravity.

These synagogue murders continue a string of terror attacks against Jews in recent weeks.

On Nov. 10, an Israel Defense Forces soldier was stabbed multiple times in Tel Aviv while returning to his military base. He later died of his wounds. Hours before, a woman was fatally stabbed and two more were injured in Alon Shvut. The attack was allegedly carried out by Maher Hamdi A-Shalmon, who was jailed from 2000 to 2005 for throwing fire bombs at Israeli troops. And those attacks followed two car-based terror attacks at Jerusalem light-rail stations.

Jews in Israel are the targets of a growing terrorist uprising that must be stopped. As we have repeatedly stated, the silence of the international community over these acts of terror is deeply troubling. The United Nations and global leaders must strongly condemn these attacks and urge the Palestinian Authority to end incitement.