Another European Union and United Nations 'serial assault' against Israel

The Centre lamented that the message "included no mention of terrorism and, in fact, endorsed a designated terrorist organisation on the UN's own watchlist", also stressing that "the meeting showed its true colors by studiously ignoring our proposal for a balanced resolution, calling 'for peace between the Arab State of Palestine alongside the Jewish State of Israel.'"

All signs point to this Israel-bashing exercise having been organised by a group of influencial and determined Belgian French-speaking Israel-bashers: Pierre Galand (Socialist, Université Libre de Bruxelles, founder of the Russell Tribunal for Palestine), Véronique De Keyser (Euro MP, Socialist).  Other guests include (well known for their anti-Israel rhetoric) Neve Gordon, Avraham Burg, Clare Short.

"Brussels Meeting on the Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood is a 'serial assault'"

Source: CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - EUROPE

"General Assembly September vote on Palestinian status should be conditioned on prior dismantling of pernicious UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People"

In a letter to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, described his experience as the only Jewish NGO attending the Brussels meeting on "The Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood and Achieving Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians."

Samuels noted that "this title was nothing but a political euphemism to campaign for the 27 States of the European Union - and the European Institutions themselves - to endorse the September UN General Assembly vote on a Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence", adding "behind that smokescreen, however, the gathering was yet another 'serial assault' against the State of Israel."

The letter listed "campaigns that were discussed, resonant of a 'Third Intifada', - calls for mass demonstrations, beginning in July, by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and by support groups in Europe and North America under the title, 'United for Palestine Independence': -Veiled threats made by delegates e.g. 'this mother of all conflicts can bring violence to all the nations of the world'; 'Palestine will be liberated by a huge anti-apartheid campaign of global civil society'... 'After the vote, we must move from anti-occupation to anti - oppression in a one-state solution'... 'The boycott must be effectively imposed...'"

The Centre suggested, "perhaps we should not be surprised, as this Brussels meeting - following similar initiatives in Latin America and Africa - was organized by the "United Nations Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People", a monster born in the murky shadows of the notorious 1975 Zionism = Racism resolution, which should have been disbanded with that resolution's repeal in 1991.