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News Releases 2017

"We can only hope this was the act of an antisemitic lone-wolf or a budding Jihadist employee."

"Inaction on this issue will be construed as an AFP endorsement of Iranian declared policy to exterminate the Jewish State and an encouragement to it followers."

Paris, 7 June 2017

In a letter to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Chairman and CEO, Emmanuel Hoog, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed horror at an AFP map of the Middle East deleting Israel on it Twitter and Facebook page.

Samuels stated, "our members are horrified at the AFP map of the Middle East appearing on Twitter and your Facebook page (below)."

“Twenty-four Holocaust survivors, each matched with a top chef, cooking a favourite family recipe from an almost extinguished Jewish gastronomy… rescuing an inter-generational heritage from the jaws of the Holocaust.”

Paris, 29 May 2017

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, congratulated Tami Shachnaey of “Shorashim” (Roots) – the Israeli non-profit that aids Holocaust survivors and Ethiopian immigrants – for its triumph in the Gourmand International Cookbook competition yesterday in Yantai, China.

Link to the award ceremony film:  
https://www.facebook.com/ShorashimGroup/videos/1429910457044412/

Shorashim’s “Grandma Cooks Gourmet” won the “Best Cookbook in the World” title, placing Israel third among 9 shortlisted countries and “Grandma” piled up an additional prizes in the non-profit category.

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"Thanks go to all the volunteers who drove participants to restaurants and markets.
Thanks to the Samuels family, who are affiliated to Verbe et Lumiere-Vigilance,
the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and UNESCO, and accompanied the project,
donating generously towards its publication."

Blog by Shimon Samuels posted on The Times of Israel
24 May 2017
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/an-open-letter-to-prime-minister-teresa-may/#.WSVakIKjEds.gmail

Madam Prime Minister,

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre congratulates you on your unrelenting stand against the warped madness of anti-Western terrorism and, more specifically, the Manchester Arena atrocity.

Permit me a few worrying thoughts for you to consider:

– Now that ISIS has claimed credit for the perpetrator, Salman Abedi, we can expect to see heroic obituaries for the Jihadist assassin, perhaps born in the UK

"Mr. Saudi Ambassador to UNESCO: 'United States President Donald Trump is about to visit your country. An occasion when you will wish to present an image of supporting dialogue and tolerance between different cultures and civilizations... At a time when Riyadh shares with Jerusalem, mutual existential concerns, we demand the closure forthwith of this hatemongering course.

"Such an offence to Islam in any Western campus would result in a loud protest supported by our Centre. This is surely not the face of Saudi Arabia you wish Mr. Trump to see."

Paris, 21 May 2017 

In a letter to Saudi Ambassador to UNESCO, Ibrahim Youssef S. Albalawi, the Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr.Shimon Samuels, noted that "United States President Donald Trump is about to visit your country, undoubtedly, an occasion when you would wish to present an image of supporting dialogue and tolerance between different cultures and civilizations."

Update: The map was removed from the Gaza Coca-Cola bottling factory premises following our intervention (read below)

 “UNESCO-sponsored Palestinian teachers NGO visited the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Gaza, to present the management with a map made out of plastic bottle-caps given to them by the company as part of the corporate initiative: "Beauty of your environment from the bin of your home…

But this was not an innocent environmental exercise: This map shows a “Palestine” totally obliterating the State of Israel with the beverage logo as backdrop.”

Each of the so-called ‘rumors’ listed on the Coca-Cola website, claimed as ‘offensive to Muslims’, have led to an immediate Coca-Cola investigation, condemnation and apology… We call for no less in this case of offence to Israel and the Jewish people.”

Paris, 14 May 2017

In a letter to Coca-Cola President and CEO, James Quincy, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, drew his attention to “a disturbing abuse of your corporate good name.”