European Jewish Association

19/06/2026

This week, EJA’s Ambassador to Germany Lawrence de Donges-Amiss-Amiss participated in a number of important events, continuing to strengthen relationships with key political, diplomatic, security, and civil society partners.

Among them was a luncheon organized by Thomas Leiser, President of the American German Business Club, attended by U.S. Consul General Brian Heath, Col. Mike Anderson, members of the U.S. Army, and representatives of the Consular Corps. The gathering provided an opportunity to discuss current challenges and further deepen transatlantic cooperation.

He also attended the opening of the Hessentag in Fulda, Germany’s largest state festival, where he visited the stand of our friends from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Their commitment to combating extremism and antisemitism serves as an example to us all and highlights the importance of vigilance in protecting democratic values.

The week concluded with participation in the 2nd National Veterans Day ceremony held at the historic Kaisersaal of the Römer in Frankfurt. The event brought together Minister of the Interior Prof. Roman Poseck, Lord Mayor Mike Josef, and a distinguished group of serving and retired military officers to recognize the service and sacrifice of Germany’s veterans.

18/06/2026

Yesterday, EJA Secretary General David Lega delivered, together with Olga Deutsch of NGO Monitor, a lunch seminar at the Swedish Riksdag, hosted by Members of Parliament Fredrik Malm (L) and Magnus Berntsson (KD).

David’s focus was a question that matters more than ever for Jewish communities across Europe: should Jews be recognised as a minority with special protection needs.

Jews make up less than 0.2 percent of Europe’s population, yet face a disproportionate share of the continent’s hate and threats, a reality that has only sharpened since October 7. In Sweden, Jews are already one of five recognised national minorities. But recognition is not the same as protection. Protected status would mean security around synagogues and schools planned and funded by the state, not carried by the communities themselves, religious practices such as kosher slaughter and circumcision safeguarded in law, and Jewish history and the Holocaust given a clear place in the curriculum.

Olga Deutsch presented new findings on how Hamas has systematically exploited parts of the aid and NGO sector in Gaza, drawing on recently disclosed internal Hamas documents. The two issues are closely linked. Funds diverted through that infiltration help sustain the same networks, including Iran and its proxies, that carry out attacks on Jewish targets across Europe.

Our thanks to Olga Deutsch for her important work, to MPs Fredrik Malm and Magnus Berntsson for opening the doors of the Riksdag to this conversation, and to all the Members of Parliament who took the time to attend. We are also grateful to Aron Verständig, Chairman of the Central Council of Jewish Communities in Sweden, MIFF (Med Israel För Fred), KKL Sweden - Keren Kajemet LeIsrael - SverigeKajemet Sverige, and Vänskapsförbundet Sverige-Israel for joining us and bringing their insights.

16/06/2026

If you are a policymaker, journalist, legal professional, healthcare expert, academic, religious leader, or work in a field connected to these issues, we invite you to take part in this important conversation.

The event will be translated to English and Dutch.
Places are limited and registration is required.
Register here: https://forms.monday.com/forms/a01ff0c2e17dd9a153af7593281365d1?r=euc1&fbclid=IwVERDUASd9J1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEes-D0bQRNFN_xNR_qAq2m9f3U7KR13eSwF8mbFUIz4x6fa-CsOgBllrFvYHw_aem_PJQ3B14rC6eiHY5Ccp_u2w

Join us on 24 June in Brussels for a high-level conference on Circumcision, Religious Freedom and the Future of Jewish Life in Belgium.

The European Jewish Association is bringing together policymakers, legal and medical experts, journalists, religious leaders and other key stakeholders for an important discussion on one of the most significant issues facing Jewish communities in Europe today.

This timely conference will explore the intersection of religious freedom, minority rights, public health, law and public policy, while addressing the growing challenges and misconceptions surrounding circumcision in Europe.

Topics will include:
• Religious freedom and minority rights
• Medical realities, safety and public health
• Law, public policy and European values
• The future of Jewish life in Belgium and Europe

If you are a policymaker, journalist, legal professional, healthcare expert, academic, religious leader, or work in a field connected to these issues, we invite you to take part in this important conversation.

The event will be translated to English and Dutch.
Places are limited and registration is required.
Register here:
https://forms.monday.com/forms/a01ff0c2e17dd9a153af7593281365d1?r=euc1

15/06/2026

As part of the REM project, funded by the European Union, we are pleased to invite you to participate in our upcoming webinar, “Teaching Difficult Histories, Contested Memories and Democratic Citizenship,” which will be held on Monday, 22 June, from 15:00 to 17:00 CET (Brussels time online).
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5R9bqkncT_22J1CzSRe93Q? #/registration

12/06/2026

Eight individuals affiliated with the University of Michigan, including current and former students, have been federally indicted in connection with what U.S. authorities describe as a coordinated campaign of threats, intimidation, vandalism, and property damage targeting university officials, law enforcement, businesses, and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the alleged campaign began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and was intended to pressure the university into divesting from Israel and from companies viewed by the defendants as supporting Israel. Prosecutors allege that the group carried out actions including threats, vandalism, damage to homes and businesses, and the use of symbols and messages directed at their targets.

The indictment further alleges that some of the incidents targeted Jewish institutions, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and that actions were carried out around the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

While it is welcome that the authorities have acted decisively in this case, and we hope that others who have engaged in similar conduct elsewhere in the United States will also be charged.

Criminal charges are an important step, but they are not sufficient on their own. The underlying issue goes beyond individual cases and raises urgent questions about why incidents involving intimidation, harassment, and antisemitic behavior have increasingly been reported on university campuses in the United States and across parts of Europe.

Universities are supposed to be places of learning and open debate, not environments where Jewish students and institutions feel pressured, targeted, or unsafe.

This requires more than enforcement after the fact. It requires a serious examination of how campus environments are shaped, what is being taught, how sensitive political topics are framed, and whether institutions are doing enough to prevent hostility and discrimination from taking root and the influence of forgien countries and organizations.

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12/06/2026

EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin's remarks following comments made by the EU High Representative during her visit to Mexico, in which she compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.

“We had hoped that such blatantly false language was in the past, buried deep along with the dubious legacy of Josep Borrell. It is a pity that after such a promising start the High Representative is reverting to her predeccessors type.

Apartheid, just like genocide, is a very important word. It carries significant emotional and historical weight. To use it in such a context diminishes it. It is an absolute falsehood: there is absolutely nothing that even resembles apartheid in Israel. It also plays directly into the hands of those that are responsible for the antisemtism crisis that is plaguing the continent and making life so incredibly difficult for European Jewry.

The High Representative should know that Jewish activists played a disproportionately large role in the South African anti-apartheid movement. Driven by a cultural history of persecution, many risked their lives, imprisonment, and exile to fight the regime as lawyers, underground operatives, and political leaders.

Kaja Kallas, through her words, is directly adding fuel to the antisemitic fire. The EJA urges Foreign Ministers to recognise this danger, and to distance themselves from her remarks.”

Her latest diplomatic blunder is a comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa

11/06/2026

The problems with UNRWA have been known for decades, yet they were largely ignored by the UN and by many of the countries that helped sponsor and fund the agency.

The October 7 attacks against Israel made it impossible for the world to continue ignoring the involvement of some UNRWA employees with Hamas and their role in the attacks, the massacre of Israeli civilians, and the kidnapping and holding of Israeli hostages, both living and deceased. While some donor countries did the responsible thing and temporarily suspended funding pending investigations, others chose to continue supporting the agency while ignoring a reality that, had it affected their own countries, would never have been dismissed so easily.

What makes the latest controversy even more concerning is that a documentary examining UNRWA, its role in the conflict, and allegations regarding extremist influence and employee involvement was reportedly rejected for broadcast by German public broadcaster ZDF. The documentary has now been released by BILD, allowing the public to judge its findings for themselves rather than having editors decide what people should or should not see.

This is not simply about a network's decision to broadcast a documentary or not. It is about a UN agency that receives millions from European taxpayers and is viewed by many as an organization helping Palestinians, While substantial evidence shows that it has escaped meaningful scrutiny and accountability for decades.

https://www.bild.de/politik/bild-zeigt-was-das-zdf-ablehnt-diese-nahost-doku-durften-sie-bisher-nicht-sehen-6a141891f1c0dd3f2e7d4592

10/06/2026

During a delegation to Israel organized by EIPA and AMEPA, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel addressed concerns about rising antisemitism and the security of Jewish communities in Europe, particularly in France and Belgium.

In her remarks, she said: “I don’t think Jews have a place in France or in Belgium. I already told the Jewish community in France to pack up and come to Israel. I don’t think they have a place in France. They are not being protected.”

The comments were made in the context of a broader discussion on the situation of Jewish life in the diaspora and the increasing reports of antisemitic incidents across parts of Europe. According to the discussion, the issue of protection, deterrence, and state response to antisemitism was central to the concerns raised.

The statement has since generated significant attention and debate across European political and media circles, reflecting the sensitivity of ongoing discussions about Jewish security, integration, and the future of diaspora communities in Europe.

Sharren Haskel spoke with visiting European and American journalists in Jerusalem.

10/06/2026

Join us on 24 June in Brussels for a high-level conference on Circumcision, Religious Freedom and the Future of Jewish Life in Belgium.

The European Jewish Association is bringing together policymakers, legal and medical experts, journalists, religious leaders and other key stakeholders for an important discussion on one of the most significant issues facing Jewish communities in Europe today.

This timely conference will explore the intersection of religious freedom, minority rights, public health, law and public policy, while addressing the growing challenges and misconceptions surrounding circumcision in Europe.

Topics will include:
• Religious freedom and minority rights
• Medical realities, safety and public health
• Law, public policy and European values
• The future of Jewish life in Belgium and Europe

If you are a policymaker, journalist, legal professional, healthcare expert, academic, religious leader, or work in a field connected to these issues, we invite you to take part in this important conversation.

The event will be translated to English and Dutch.
Places are limited and registration is required.
Register here:
https://forms.monday.com/forms/a01ff0c2e17dd9a153af7593281365d1?r=euc1

09/06/2026

After months of investigation into the conduct of Karim Khan, the ICC Prosecutor who spearheaded the unprecedented pursuit of arrest warrants against Israel's democratically elected leaders while the country was fighting a brutal war against terrorism, he has now been suspended.

The credibility of the man who placed himself at the center of one of the most consequential legal and political battles of our time is now under serious scrutiny.

In light of these developments, a thorough, independent, and transparent review of all decisions closely associated with Mr. Khan is not merely justified, it is essential

Khan, a prominent British lawyer, has repeatedly denied the allegations which first emerged in 2024