On Denmark
The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council has expressed its sincere condolences to the victims and their families of the terrorist attacks in Copenhagen on the weekend.
Dr Colin Rubenstein
Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said: “The victims of the deadly attacks included documentary filmmaker Finn Noergaard who was killed while attending a discussion at a café on freedom of speech and Dan Uzan, a Jewish volunteer security guard who was killed while guarding a synagogue where around 80 people were celebrating a Bat Mitzvah. Five policeman were also injured in these attacks and we hope for their full recovery.
Jeremy Jones
The murderous attack on Dan Uzan outside the synagogue highlights the dangers Jewish communities face around the world from growing antisemitism. It comes a month after the terrorist attack on a kosher grocery store in Paris that killed four people, two days after the attack on Charlie Hebdo.
AIJAC’s Director of International and Community Affairs Jeremy Jones noted:
“The poisonous ideology of antisemitism has, once again, resulted in tragedy. There must be zero tolerance of racism, which too often has been excused, justified or rationalised for political purposes. It is a problem in Australia, as elsewhere, and it is incumbent on our political, civil and faith leaders to condemn all manifestations of it consistently and unambiguously.”
AIJAC’s Executive Director Dr. Colin Rubenstein said:
“AIJAC stands in solidarity with the people of Denmark including its Jewish community. There is sadly a pattern emerging of attacks on symbols of freedom of speech followed by attacks on Jewish communities. Action needs to be taken to ensure that Australians of all religions can feel safe and secure wherever they may be, but particularly in places of worship, educational institutions and communal gatherings.”
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission has been shocked and deeply saddened by the brutal attacks in the central synagogue in Krystalgade that left one person dead and two police officers wounded and the shooting earlier at a free speech event at a cultural center in Copenhagen in which one person was killed three police officers were wounded.
Dvir Abramowich
Dr. Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, issued the following statement:
”I am shocked and dismayed by these brutal terrorist attacks. The tragedies that we have witnessed over the last 24 hours are another disturbing and chilling reminder of the terrible danger that European Jews and European society in general face from extreme islamist terror. We know that over the last year the number of violent antisemitic attacks has increased dramatically, often with fatal results. Sadly, it has now become a reality that European Jews are constantly targeted, in Kosher shops, in schools and in synagogues, and live in fear for their lives. This inexcusable situation must be confronted with the outmost urgency. Once again, I urge world leaders to make combatting antisemitism a critical and top priority and to quickly adopt concrete steps to stem this tide. A first, and positive step would be to immediately establish a high-level task force on antisemitism, and to use all means to counteract jihadist fundamentalism that poses a threat not just to Jewish communities around the world, but to western values such as democracy, pluralism and freedom of speech and worship. As we mourn with the families of those who lost their loved ones and pray for the speedy and full recovery of the wounded, the ADC stands in solidarity with the Danish Jewish community and the Danish people during this challenging and difficult time.”
Helle Thorning-Schmidt the prime minster of Denmark, president Holland of France ,like other European leaders, make utterances on public media stating that: Without the Jews our country will not be the same and the Jews should not leave and go to Israel. We have the curious picture of the leaders proclaiming that the Jews should stay, that they are crucial to the functioning of the respective countries.
But what of the general population in those countries ? A typical example
are the statements on television by a young woman in Copenhagen when asked
about her reaction to the recent happenings :”When I see a Muslim or a Turkish person I smile at them as much as possible to make them realize that they are OK in Denmark ”
And a young man in the same situation :” The Muslims in this country have it much harder that the Jews at the present time because everybody seems to be against them”.
It is easy to draw a connection between the attitude of these young people
and the fact that in Denmark in 2009 Jewish students were advised not to enroll in certain schools because the schools could not guarantee their personal safety.
The catch cry ” We must be vigilant , we must combat antisemitism wherever we can, we must, we must…. But how to change the mindset of a large proportion of the population of Europe, England and even America.
I fear that there is no prescription which has resulted in positive change up till now.