Paris, 15 March 2024

Since the 7-October terror assault on Israel, the Friends of the Wiesenthal Centre, in cooperation with the Mouvement pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme (MPCT - Movement for Peace and Against Terrorism), are active in countering antisemitism and hate on the streets of Paris. Over the past week, we have been participating in the following initiatives:

1) On 8 March, while “Score a Goal for Women” was the focus event for UNESCO, “in the streets of Paris, the International Women’s Day rally for universal rights and equality saw a group of Jewish women, expressing solidarity with the female victims held captive by Hamas, heckled and targeted by insults, threats, eggs and soda cans, thrown by ‘pro-Palestinian militants’, stated Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels.

Social grievances have often been parasited recently, by militants hiding behind masks, keffiyehs and flags, and screaming slogans such as “from the river to the sea!” and “Khaybar, Khaybar!” – code-words for their antisemitic genocidal intent. The Centre co-signed an MPCT appeal to defend the dignity of Jewish women after this grotesque aggression.

Samuels at UNESCO (photo csweurope); Remembering 7 October victims at the rally (photo AFP).

2) Among the imperatives to end this war, there is the need to free the hostages kept in the terror tunnels beneath Gaza. Friends of the Wiesenthal Centre called on Qatar to use its influence over Hamas to release all the children, the elderly, the teenagers, women and men kidnapped over 5 months ago.

The families of the victims of Hamas’ “7-October war” must not wait any longer.

Wiesenthal Centre calling to free the hostages at the Embassy of Qatar in Paris (photos csweurope).

3) Another initiative addressed this week was the defunding and dismantling of UNRWA, the UN body that has perpetuated the refugee status of Palestinians since 1950. UNRWA has not only failed its mission and mismanaged its funds, but has also been complicit with the terrorists “governing” Gaza, letting the incitement to hate run amok in their schools, with members even participating in the 7-October mayhem and widely supporting the assault, also on social media.

The UN needs to find more reliable organizations to deal with Gaza. There must be no more complicity with terrorists!

The rally calling to defund UNRWA, in front of the French Senate (photos csweurope).

The Wiesenthal Centre Europe will continue, in cooperation with the MPCT, to denounce and combat antisemitism, intimidation and hate.

* * *

Free the Hostages!
Defund UNRWA!
Stand with the Victims!

For further information, contact csweurope@gmail.com