The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress strongly condemns the attempted assassination of Prof. Irwin Kotler – former Justice Minister of Canada and renowned human rights activist.

EAJC stands in full solidarity with Professor Irwin Cotler, his family, and the Canadian authorities following the prevention of an assassination attempt against him. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Canada’s law enforcement agencies for their swift and effective action in thwarting this heinous crime. It is imperative that those responsible for this plot are thoroughly investigated and brought to justice.

At the same time, the EAJC unequivocally condemns the actions of the perpetrators and those who orchestrated this assassination attempt. Professor Cotler is an extraordinary human rights advocate, a staunch defender of freedom and justice, a respected leader of the Canadian Jewish community, and a cherished friend of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. This attempt on his life represents yet another act of barbaric terrorism sponsored and supported by the Iranian regime on the global stage.

EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili remarked:

“Professor Cotler has been a longstanding partner of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, participating in our initiatives and visiting Jewish communities across the former Soviet Union. He has an intimate understanding of the history and struggles of Russian-speaking Jewry and has made significant contributions to the defense of Soviet dissidents. Notably, he played a key role in defending Natan Sharansky during his imprisonment in the Soviet Union.

This assassination attempt underscores a grim reality we have long warned about: Iran’s three-tiered threat to global stability. Its nuclear ambitions, regional aggression, and state-sponsored terrorism endanger the entire international community. These actions must not go unchallenged, and it is time for the global community to take decisive action to put an end to these threats.”

After the UEFA Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, a group of unidentified attackers targeted Israeli fans. They chased the fans across the city, beat them, rammed their cars into them, and stormed into the hotels where they were staying. More than 25 people were injured, some seriously.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) wishes to recovery of the victims and strongly condemns the actions of the instigators and participants in the riots and attacks on Israeli football fans. EAJC leaders call on the Dutch authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. It is essential to uncover the true motives of the perpetrators, identify the organizers, and pursue them to the full extent of the law. We thank the Kingdom’s authorities for their public display of solidarity with Israel and its citizens, but at the same time, we urge them to take all necessary steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

There is no doubt that the events in Amsterdam were a planned violent act with a purely anti-Semitic nature.

The President of the EAJC, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, noticed:

“The horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered a wave of blatant anti-Semitism across the globe. The scale of this age-old disease (hatred of Jews, which is now taking on new forms) has once again taken us by surprise. The events in Amsterdam are a consequence of the strategy to amplify anti-Semitism in the public information space, particularly on social media and in the media. We have repeatedly emphasized that the spread of anti-Semitic ideas inevitably leads to severe consequences, not only for Jews but for the entire free world. It is well known that anti-Semitism marks the beginning of the deepest decay of any society, no matter how enlightened it may be. We call on the Dutch authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and take all possible preventive measures.”

 

The EAJC CEO, Dr. Chaim Ben Yakov pointed out the numerous false reports on social media aimed at spreading misinformation about the incident, attempting to frame it as “a fight among football fans”:

“We are all aware of the wave of anti-Semitic sentiment sweeping through Europe. The question was not ‘Will such an incident ever occur?’ but ‘When will it happen, and where?’ Without a doubt, what we faced in Amsterdam was an extreme manifestation of anti-Semitism, not football hooliganism. Israelis were hunted down on the streets of Amsterdam, well beyond the sports venues,” Ben Yakov said.

He also highlighted the danger of drawing historical comparisons to the events in Amsterdam: “The associations being made today are often inaccurate. When comparing what happened to events like Kristallnacht or the Kishinev pogrom, we must be extremely cautious, because there is one fundamental difference between those events and today—now we have a strong and independent Jewish state, where every Jew can come. And where each of us can feel protected and take responsibility for the fate of our people into our own hands, considering the objective challenges of life in an independent state surrounded by enemies.”

As part of the initiatives, launched by Chairman of the Board of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Aaron G. Frenkel, the Israeli charity organization “Yad Sarah” has established oxygen tanks distribution centers in Jerusalem and Haifa. These centers are able to fill and distribute oxygen tanks for patients with severe illnesses who require special home care.

In “Yad Sarah” noticed that every week it use about 600 oxygen tanks for its patients needs.

It is with profound sadness that the EAJC announces the passing of Prof. Mikhail Chlenov (26.9.1940-7.8.2024) today, August 7th. Known affectionately as Mika to his many friends, colleagues, students, and associates, he was a towering figure in the history of the Jewish community of the USSR and Russia.

Mika was a driving force behind the organized Jewish life after the collapse of the USSR and stood at the origins of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. In recent years he has served as head of the EAJC’s Strategic Council. He was also Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress and a member of the Presidium of the World Zionist Organization.

Since the early 1970s, Chlenov was actively involved in the independent Jewish national movement, first in the USSR and later in Russia. He began studying Hebrew in 1971 and started teaching the language in 1972. In 1981, he established the Jewish Historical and Ethnographic Commission.

As a Soviet and Russian ethnographer, orientalist, and public figure, Mika held a PhD in Historical Sciences and was a professor. He authored two monographs and approximately 150 scientific publications on various topics in ethnography, linguistics, sociology, and related disciplines.

The contributions of prof. Chlenov are too numerous to list fully. His passing is a significant loss for the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and the Jewish world at large.

Thanks to the success of Israeli Olympians, Israel has already won six medals at the Olympic Games in Paris:

bronze – Peter Paltchik – judo (up to 100 kg);
silver – Inbar Lanir – judo (up to 78 kg);
silver – Raz Hershko – judo (over 78 kg);
silver – Sharon Kantor – windsurfing;
gold – Tom Reuveni – windsurfing;
silver – Artem Dolgopiat – gymnastics.

This achievement marks Israel’s best performance in Olympic history.

President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Michael Mirilashvili, congratulates the Israeli athletes who earned Olympic honors in Paris:

“On behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, I heartily congratulate our Olympians on this magnificent result. You are the pride of our country and a ray of light and joy in these challenging times.”

President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Mikhail Mirilashvili, extends his deepest condolences on the tragic death of 12 teenagers resulting from the rocket attack on Majdal Shams by Hezbollah terrorists on July 27. We are profoundly shocked by this horrific event and share in the pain and grief of the local community.

The Druze community has always been an integral part and a unique jewel in the rich ethnocultural mosaic of the State of Israel. The community’s dedication and contributions in all areas of Israeli life are invaluable and serve as an example to others.

The EAJC maintains a warm relationship with the spiritual leaders of the Druze community, and our thoughts, prayers, and support are with them during these horrible times for the whole community.

30 years ago, on July 18, 1994, the largest terrorist attack in the history of Argentina took place at the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish center in Buenos Aires. A truck packed with explosives drove into the center, completely destroying it. 85 people were killed and more than 300 were injured. Until the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, this attack was the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust.

Today, 30 years later, the crime has still not been solved. Argentine law enforcement and Israeli intelligence assume that it was carried out by the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, on orders from Tehran.

On the occasion of this important date, the World Jewish Congress, the Latin American Jewish Congress, in cooperation with AMIA and the Argentine authorities, held a series of events aimed at recalling the terrible tragedy and coordinating joint efforts to combat anti-Semitism around the world. Leading politicians, diplomats, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders of Jewish communities took part in conferences, commemorative ceremonies, meetings and lectures.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) also emphasizes the importance of historical memory and the need to thoroughly study the darkest pages of Jewish history – such as what happened in Argentina 30 years ago. Without this, it is impossible to combat modern anti-Semitism and confront the most difficult challenges that the State of Israel and Jewish communities around the world are currently facing. After October 7, 2023, anti-Semitism is once again raising its head – and we have once again become convinced that the existential threat is not illusory and that uniting to confront it is the main task of the Jewish community today.

EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili said:

“We are talking about a difficult period for our people not only in the State of Israel, but also beyond its borders. In addition to the terrorist attack on Israel, we have witnessed powerful anti-Israeli sentiments from Latin America to the European continent.

It is obvious that any manifestations of hatred and violence against Jews, as well as against any people, should be illegal.

To our great regret, today we understand that not everyone in the world has learned one of the main lessons of the Second World War. Not everyone is aware of what fundamentalist theories and ideologies built on blind hatred can lead to. Not everyone is aware that such phenomena destroy the foundations of the very society in which they flourish. Both 30 years ago in Buenos Aires and on October 7, 2023, we once again witnessed the inhuman cruelty that people obsessed with the hatred of their ideology are capable of.
The Hamas attack on Israel has raised a wave of blatant anti-Semitism around the world. The scale of this chronic disease – hatred of Jews, which is taking on new forms – has once again shocked us.
It turned out that all the enormous work that we are doing, including with our partners from the World Jewish Congress, under the leadership of my long-time friend Ambassador Ronald Lauder, is not enough. But we must not give up. Education, active diplomatic work and dialogue keep us believing that one day we will finally talk about anti-Semitism as another black page in our history.”