News Releases 2019
“Alarm raised on other contraventions of Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) Rules.”
“We call on the ESC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to uphold its own Rules to ensure that the 2019 Tel Aviv Eurovision Song Contest be an expression of cultural harmony and unity rather than incitement to hate and violence.”
18 April 2019
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) and the Wiesenthal Centre have written to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) executive supervisor, Jon Ola Sand, to prevent politicization of the May 14-18 contest in Tel Aviv.
UKLFI urged the disqualification of Iceland’s band “Hatari” (“Hate” in English), since it contravened both the spirit and rules of Eurovision. Hatari has breached Rule 2.6, which states that: “Eurovision is a non-political event,” in three different ways:
Read more: Wiesenthal Centre and UK Lawyers for Israel Urge...
Paris, 16 April 2018
A letter of sympathy to Emmanuel Macron, President of France, from Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Centre.
“Mr. President,
On behalf of our over 400.000 members, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre wishes to express solidarity with France and the French people at the tragic destruction of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
We were about to send greetings for a tranquil Easter to our French Catholic members and for Passover to the Jewish community.
Throughout history, and especially under Nazi occupation and Vichy, synagogues were burned and cemeteries desecrated. We thus feel the pain of our Christian friends at this time.
Mr. President, may Notre-Dame be restored to its full glory.”
A Report by Dr. Shimon Samuels, Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations and Permanent Observer to UNESCO
“To claim that these resolutions were passed by consensus in the absence of a key party is a travesty...”
“Perhaps an open ballot of the 58 voting states would be more useful to identify the righteous versus the intimidated, the bribed and the simply antisemitic.”
Paris, 11 April 2019
Two resolutions, item 32 and 33 – both submitted by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan – were passed today “by consensus without a vote” at the UNESCO Executive Board chaired by Madam Samira Moosa of Oman.
“Our only allies at the Durban 2001 antisemitic hatefest were Roma, East European Slavs and LGBT NGOs – each were marked for extermination by Hitler.”
“Jews need Gentiles to combat antisemitism, Blacks need Whites against racism, Women need Men for their rights and Gays need Straights.”
Paris, 8 April 2019
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre vigorously condemned the 3 April Brunei adoption of the death penalty by stoning: of homosexuals, women charged with adultery and other categories under Sharia law.
Read more: Wiesenthal Centre Condemns Brunei Death Penalty...
“It took a Holocaust bank scandal to open Mobutu’s Swiss bank accounts”... “Based on that precedent, the British Society of Black Lawyers sought compensation for slavery.”
Paris, 5 April 2019
In a letter to British Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, the Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, applauded the announcement that the long-delayed indemnification to the so-called “Windrush” deported families has now been activated.
(images: coventrytelgraph.net)
In the 1990s, the Centre already viewed restitution as not exclusive to Jewish Holocaust claimants.
The Centre was approached by survivors of slave forced labour, Sinti and Roma, Gays and even officials from Hungary, Italy, Spain and Turkey regarding lost gold.