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European Jewish Association

The European Jewish Association is committed to safeguarding and enhancing Jewish life in Europe It’s a challenging time for Jewish communities in Europe.

Anti-Semitism is on the rise as populism and the politics of the lowest common denominator are gaining traction. Our communities often need round the clock protection and our practices and customs such as keeping Kosher are under pressure from increasing political interference. The European Jewish Association was set up to deal with these and many other challenges. Acting on your behalf, we are th

e leading, biggest and widest reaching Associations of Jewish organizations and communities in Europe. Our associates represent hundreds of communities and thousands of Jews across the continent. We believe that there is strength and influence in numbers.

01/09/2026

EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin met in Brussels with Israel’s new Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, H.E. David Saranga. David Saranga

Rabbi Margolin warmly welcomed Ambassador Saranga to his new position and wished him every success in his important mission representing the State of Israel.

Their meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing Jewish communities in Belgium and across Europe, as well as the importance of close and continued cooperation in strengthening Jewish life, protecting religious freedom and combating antisemitism.

The EJA looks forward to working closely with Ambassador Saranga and to a productive partnership in the years ahead.

31/08/2026

While we cannot report on every act of vandalism, insult, threat, curse or incident targeting Jews, Zionist Jews or Israelis, sometimes we do need to stop and point out the obvious. Especially now, as Jewish communities around the world prepare for the upcoming holidays and calls are being made for governments and security forces to increase protection around Jewish communities, we need to remind people why these calls are necessary in the first place.

There will, of course, those who continue to claim that all of this is simply about the war or opposition to Israel. But if that were true, why will Jews around the world once again have to celebrate their holidays behind walls and security fences, surrounded by armed guards and increased security?

Not because of something Israel has done but simply because they are Jews, and because there are people who wish to attack them because of their religion.

Even after everything Jews have gone through in the past few years, some people still insist on refusing to understand that antisemitism and anti-Zionism is the same hatred under a different name.

This is not about opposing Israel because of the war. This is about hating Jews, period.

For those who constantly insist that they are "only against Israel", yet go on to attack Jews, this is not criticism of Israeli government policy. When synagogues are attacked, that is not criticism of Israel. When Jews are targeted or gunned down in the US, Australia or the UK, that is not criticism of Israeli policy. When Jewish people are threatened, harassed or attacked simply because they are Jewish, Israel has nothing to do with it.

Far too many people, especially young people, have been convinced that 0.2% of the world's population somehow represents a threat to billions of people around the world.

And no matter how much Jews, including Israelis, have contributed to the world, in technology, medicine, science, knowledge, humanitarian aid and countless other fields, the same hatred that has existed for centuries continues to find a way back.

Because blaming Jews is easy.

It gives people someone to blame when their own lives are not what they wanted them to be. It gets attention, likes, followers, money and votes. And throughout history, the hatred has simply adapted to whatever language or political narrative is most convenient at the time.

So, for those who are still confused, brainwashed, or simply choose to hate Jews: you can claim as many times as you want that this is all about Israel.

But the moment you attack Jews simply because they are Jews, you are not protesting Israeli policy.

You are being antisemitic.

28/08/2026

Do you remember that on 16 October 2025, West Midlands Police recommended that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters be banned from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park, saying the decision was necessary because of security concerns? The match was played on 6 November, and the Israeli supporters were kept out.

The justification was that this was about protecting public safety. But if the Israeli fans were considered to be facing a security risk, why was the solution to prevent them from attending rather than deal with the people who posed the threat?

A UK parliamentary inquiry found that West Midlands Police had been affected by “confirmation bias” in its assessment of Maccabi supporters and had relied on inaccurate information about their behaviour. The committee also found that the force failed to carry out even basic due diligence.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating five people over the decision, including former West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford. The watchdog says the briefing behind the ban allegedly gave an imbalanced view of the risk posed by the Israeli supporters compared with the risks they themselves faced.

So let's go back to the argument that this was all done for their protection.
Protection from what, and protection of whom?

If Israeli fans were threatened, the responsibility of the authorities should have been to identify those threats, deal with those responsible and ensure the fans could attend safely.

Instead, the people who were at risk were the ones told to stay away.
And this case is part of a much larger European problem. Since October 7, Jewish communities and Israeli-linked institutions across Europe have faced a significant increase in threats, attacks and intimidation. European institutions and leaders themselves have repeatedly warned about the sharp rise in antisemitism, attacks and threats against Jewish communities and the growing security challenges they face.

And this should make every European citizen ask how safe are we if those entrusted with protecting us cannot, or will not, confront the threats, and instead increasingly respond by restricting the people who are being threatened?
At some point, authorities have to confront the people who make the threats.

Because the question is not simply what security measures are being put in place. What is actually being done to stop the threats in the first place?

Because those threatening Jewish communities and Israeli visitors will not stop at attacking Jews. The threat does not end with the people they target today.

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/craig-guildford-maccabi-tel-aviv-fan-ban-b3039599.html

28/08/2026

For decades, Israel and numerous NGOs have raised serious concerns about the double standards and anti-Israel bias within parts of the UN system. Since October 7, those concerns have become even more pronounced, with repeated controversies surrounding statements and conduct by some UN officials and special rapporteurs.

And now, in a remarkable admission, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has acknowledged that some special rapporteurs have become “totally out of control” in their views regarding Israel.

While he admitted this, we want to ask:

Who allowed them to become “out of control” in the first place?
Who appointed them? Who allowed them to remain in their positions despite repeated complaints about their conduct and impartiality?

If they are “out of control,” who was supposed to make sure they are in "control"? And why has this been allowed to continue for so long?

Guterres says the UN itself is not institutionally biased against Israel. Of course he says this. But he cannot simply dismiss the reality that we see so clearly.

26/08/2026

Since the October 7th attack, Palestine Action has become far more widely known for its actions and its strongly anti-Israel stance.

The US announced today that it has added Palestine Action to its list of specially designated global terrorist entities.

The decision is not based simply on the group’s opposition to Israel, or its criticism of Britain and the US, but on the methods the organisation has used.

Palestine Action began operating in Britain in 2020. At first its campaigns were mainly aimed at defence companies linked to Israel, including Elbit Systems. Over time the group moved beyond demonstrations and symbolic protests.

Its members have been accused of entering restricted military and defence sites, damaging equipment, attacking property and injuring police officers. Some of the incidents reportedly caused damage worth millions of dollars.

A major example took place at RAF Brize Norton. Activists entered the airbase and damaged two Voyager aircraft. The consequences were serious enough for the engines on the affected planes to be taken out and examined.

British officials also say the group’s targeted companies and facilities connected to Israel, the UK, NATO, Ukraine and other Five Eyes countries.

Another issue raised by the US Treasury is the way Palestine Action publicised its activities. American officials say the organisation used online platforms to celebrate previous attacks and encourage supporters in other countries to carry out similar operations.

So why is the US Treasury’s decision important, and why are we writing about it?

Because in the eyes of far too many people, actions like these are automatically justified if they are carried out against Israel or Jewish sites.

A political cause does not give people unlimited permission to break into military facilities, destroy equipment, injure police officers or encourage others to carry out similar attacks.

The American position is that there is a clear difference between opposing a government, protesting against a defence contractor or campaigning against Israel, and carrying out attacks on military property while encouraging others to do the same.

The UK had already proscribed Palestine Action under its terrorism laws in 2025. That decision is being challenged at the moment.

But the US decision rests on the claim that Palestine Action crossed a line between protest and violent political action.

There is a difference between demonstrating outside a company and forcing entry into a military base. There is a difference between criticising weapons sales and damaging aircraft. There is a difference between political campaigning and injuring police officers while urging people abroad to repeat the same attacks.

People are free to demonstrate and have opinions. The problem begins when an organisation combines its political aims with violence, attacks on military infrastructure, serious property damage and international efforts to spread the same tactics.

26/08/2026

Ahead of Sweden’s 2026 parliamentary election, the European Jewish Association (EJA) and the World Jewish Congress (WJC) have launched a joint framework assessing all parliamentary parties on key issues affecting Jewish life in Sweden.

The framework focuses on security, antisemitism, freedom of religion, safety in public spaces, education, and Sweden’s role in Europe and internationally. Using the same criteria for every party, it provides voters and policymakers with a clear and objective basis for dialogue on protecting Jewish life, rights, and participation in Swedish society—both before and after the election.

You can find the document on our website in this link:

https://ejassociation.eu/eja/jewish-key-issues-ahead-of-the-2026-election-eja-and-wjc-present-a-common-benchmark-for-parliamentary-parties/

25/08/2026

This is exactly how anti-Israel propaganda works: take something that looks completely innocent, like kites, attach explosives to them, and use them for months to cause massive damage to Israeli communities and agricultural land. Then, after October 7, bring the same method back, and now again Israel is being criticized for refusing to ignore a tactic that has already been used to attack Israelis.

24/08/2026

Yesterday, we all saw Hollywood celebrities signing a petition calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a convicted terrorist serving five life sentences plus 40 years for the murder of Israelis , while seemingly ignoring the crimes for which he is in prison.

This is how the rewriting of history happens.

Look at how Wikipedia presents Marwan Barghouti.
He is introduced first as a “Palestinian political leader,” an advocate of a two-state solution, someone who could supposedly unify Palestinians and negotiate peace. The page even has a section dedicated to comparisons between Barghouti and Nelson Mandela.

But now look at the facts.

He was convicted of five counts of murder, attempted murder, and membership and activity in a terrorist organization. He was sentenced to five cumulative life sentences plus 40 years in prison.

The convictions included responsibility for attacks that killed five people: the murder of Greek Orthodox monk Georgios Tsibouktzakis; the killing of an Israeli near Givat Ze'ev; and the Seafood Market attack in Tel Aviv, in which three civilians were killed. He was also convicted for organizing a failed car-bomb attack near Malha Mall.

The court found that Barghouti provided money and weapons through associates to people who planned and carried out the attacks.
If you read his page, it shows him in a very different way.

A man convicted of five murders, attempted murder, and membership and activity in a terrorist organization, and serving five life sentences, is repeatedly presented primarily as a political leader, a potential peacemaker, and even the “Palestinian Mandela.”

This is how the narrative is changed.

The political identity becomes the headline. The victims disappear from the story, while the convicted terrorist is transformed into a symbol of leadership, resistance, peace, and reconciliation.

And now we have celebrities campaigning for his release and presenting him as a future leader.

The facts have not disappeared. They are simply being pushed further and further into the background while people such as those celebrities either are too ignorant about the topic or choose to ignore them and willingly sign their name on a campaign calling for his release.

23/08/2026

In the future, when people will look back at the decay of society in today’s world, this will be an important sign of it: Hollywood actors with little to no understanding of life in Israel choosing to sign a letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a convicted Palestinian terrorist and murderer with Jewish blood on his hands, simply because they have convinced themselves that they know better.

And at this point, none of them can claim ignorance. They know who he is, what he was convicted of, and who his victims were. They know the nature of his crimes, yet they have still chosen to call for his release. And if they don’t know and yet choose to sign their names on it, it is even worse.

There is something deeply disturbing about people so detached from the reality of terrorism that they can erase the victims, minimize the crime, and transform a convicted murderer into a symbol. This is not morality. It is moral inversion where defending the convicted perpetrator is presented as humanitarian, while remembering the victims and demanding accountability is somehow treated as cruelty.

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