PRESS RELEASE

More than 60 UN Ambassadors attend Passover Seder co-hosted by ECI at the UN

New York, March 28th, 2018 – The European Coalition for Israel and the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy arranged for a High Level Diplomatic Passover Seder to take place at the UN headquarters in New York, just three days ahead of the Jewish Feast. The pre-Passover Seder on Tuesday was co-hosted by the Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN. The speakers reminded the more than 60 UN-ambassadors and senior diplomats who attended the event of the unique set of circumstances which led to the Exodus, the liberation of the Jewish people from 400 years of slavery in Egypt and their well-documented path to freedom and self-determination in Eretz Israel - the Land of Israel.

“It was a long journey, but now you are home”, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell said in his opening remarks as he reminded the audience of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the modern State of Israel.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, explained that the Hebrew word ‘Seder’ means ‘Order’.  “At a time of upheaval around the world it is critical that we all come together and ensure that ‘order’ is kept.  As representatives of our countries, we have the responsibility to ensure that the UN is not blinded by bias and that it stands up to the Pharaohs of today who threaten freedom, peace and security", he said.

In his speech, ECI Director of UN Affairs and Co-founder of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy, Gregory Lafitte, referred to the Passover story as “the first written account of diplomacy”. “It is a story that tells about the exodus out of Egypt and the birth of a people, which led to the receiving of the Torah”, he explained.

“The Jewish insight is that freedom is not the ability to do whatever we please — that's anarchy. True freedom is to be able to relive the story, to ask questions, to know the truth, and to choose what is right. True freedom is not what we obtained at the crossing of the Red Sea, it is what we received at Sinai”, he added.

This is the third consecutive year that a Passover Seder has been held inside the UN headquarters in New York. In 2016 ECI, together with the Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN, initiated and hosted the first ever Passover Seder at the UN headquarters which was attended by some 40 ambassadors and senior diplomats. Three years later the event has grown to over 80 participants, including 60 UN ambassadors and senior diplomats from four different continents.

The diplomatic success of the event was enhanced by the fact that the Turkish Ambassador to the UN, Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, also participated in this year´s ceremony, despite many years of frosty relations between Jerusalem and Ankara.

The ECI delegation consisted of Tomas Sandell, Gregory Lafitte, J. Rudolf Geigy andFaith Collins Childress. The Passover Seder was one of the many ongoing ECI activities at the United Nations in New York which since 2014 are held under the name of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy.

PRESS RELEASE

ECI seminar in London discusses pro-Israel advocacy after Brexit
- Passivity is our greatest enemy!

London, January 16th, 2018 – British government support for Israel cannot be taken for granted but needs to be renewed time and time again. It is not the enemies of Israel that pose the greatest threat to this support but rather the passivity of many pro-Israel Christians.

This was the overall message at a one-day European Coalition for Israel seminar in London on Saturday, 13th January, on the theme “Britain, Europe and Israel - after Brexit.”

While many friends of Israel had hoped for a new golden age in the support by Britain for Israel as the British government prepares to leave the European Union, many have been disappointed that British foreign policy vis-à-vis Israel has not aligned itself with the pro-Israel stance of the new US administration but rather remained consistent with the policies of the EU. Earlier in the week, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson joined other EU-Foreign Ministers in Brussels in pleading with US President Donald Trump to keep to the Iran deal. Furthermore, on 21st December in the UN General Assembly, Britain was not to be counted as one of the 65 nations which refused to support the resolution that the UN rejects the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. On Friday, President Trump finally cancelled his planned visit to London next month, a further indication of the fact that the special relationship between the US and the UK is strained at the moment.

At the seminar, TV journalist Simon Barrett criticized the UK government for not standing up for the US President and his pro-Israel policies but instead giving in to media slander.

Former Labour MP Michael McCann said that “the UK cannot afford to jeopardise the special relationship with Washington at the same time as we are trying to get out of the EU”.

While there is discontent with the current government, according to McCann and Barrett, the alternative to the Conservative government is even worse.

Michael McCann called his former colleague Jeremy Corbyn, who is now chairman of the Labour party, “an anti-Semite who openly supports terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah”.

McCann is currently leading a British campaign to ban Hezbollah from the UK. He also criticized Prime Minister Theresa May for not being consistent in her fight against terrorism. “When Britain was struck by a terror attack last year, she promised to decisively crack down on terrorism, but when supporters of the terrorist group Hezbollah demonstrated openly on the streets of London just a few weeks later, she did not intervene”, he commented.

The one-day ECI seminar encouraged Christian believers to be more pro-active in their support for Israel by calling their political leaders to account when they act contrary to their election promises.

“Our support for Israel is just as important outside of the four walls of the church as inside them. But in order to win the battle for the minds and hearts of people we need to know the history of Israel and its legal foundations”, said ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell.

During the one-day seminar the participants were also able to hear ECI Legal CounselAndrew Tucker explain how a systematic twisting of international law today is being used by the enemies of Israel to discredit the Jewish state.

But despite the on-going international lawfare against Israel, ECI Director for UN Affairs Dr.Gregory Lafitte presented evidence on how international support for Israel is growing at the United Nations. When the Palestinians were given “non-member observer state status” at the United Nations in November 2012, 55 states objected to the decision by abstaining, or voting against, or by not being present during the vote. When the UN General Assembly voted to condemn the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel by the US on 21st December last year, ten more nations chose to oppose the resolution.

ECI Brussels Representative Ruth Isaac reminded the audience that “it is not our enemies that we need to worry about but rather the passivity and fear among many Christians who support Israel in their hearts but do not dare to express this support publicly”.

While many pro-Israel events in London have been hijacked by pro-Palestinian activists in recent years, security has become a major issue. Nevertheless, ECI decided to openly publicise the address of the venue last Saturday. According to some, this was a breach of security, but Sandell defended the decision by saying that “when we start to give in to fear in an open democracy and hide from the public we have lost the battle”.

The message from the seminar was well received by the Christian leaders who participated. British pastor and ECI-coordinator in the UK Alistair Scott concluded the seminar by stating that “although the UK is preparing for Brexit, the commitment to stand with Israel together with Christians from other parts of Europe remains rock solid”.

MONTHLY REPORT - JANUARY 2018

Thank you for 2017! Thank you for helping us close the fiscal year with a small plus on the account. Thanks to your generous support we are able to prepare for another important year ahead of us in which we will aim at broadening our support base in order to raise an even stronger voice in 2018. Together we can do it! What a difference a year can make! As we enter a new year it is high time to take account of the past year and look at the challenges ahead of us. 2017 may well go down in history as the year when the only remaining superpower, the USA, finally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel on December 6th, and more nations are considering moving their embassies from Tel Aviv back to Jerusalem. In only one year, Israel had gone from being completely isolated at the UN Security Council, which was the case at the vote on December 23rd 2016, to having 65 nations refuse to support a similar resolution on December 21st 2017. (See ECI press release). As we began last year, 70 nations were gathering in Paris to declare Jerusalem as an occupied city, but now we have almost as many nations rejecting such a claim. What a difference a year can make! Conventional wisdom had it that a recognition of Jerusalem at this time would open the gates of hell. No such thing happened. Instead Israel came out stronger from this declaration with some ten nations currently considering a similar recognition. A total of six EU-member states* broke ranks with Brussels at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in abstaining in the vote on the resolution against the US recognition. At the same time, EU-member states such as Denmark, Norway and Netherlands are reconsidering their funding of the PA because of serious concerns regarding the on-going financing of hate and violence. December 6th may well go down in history as the date when something shifted in the Middle East, but the battle has only just begun. Many uncertainties still exist as the US is expected to present its new peace plan in March and we wait to see how the protests in Iran will develop. Only one thing is for sure, the Middle East is not what it used to be. * Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania. ECI priorities in 2018 This year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. It will also mark the 15th anniversary of the European Coalition for Israel. Throughout the year we will celebrate these two anniversaries as we also strengthen the foundations of our work. Jerusalem Since 2011 ECI has been consistently focusing on the importance of keeping Jerusalem united as the capital of the State of Israel. During last year’s 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem we were the only organization to mark this event both at the European Union in Brussels and the United Nations in New York. Many want to keep the status of Jerusalem on the negotiating table as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations over one of the final status issues, whereas we have consistently argued that a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is non-negotiable. This is also the official position of the Israeli government. After the US recognition on December 6th, our campaigning is entering an even more important phase, as the nations will now have to choose sides. In 2018 we will continue to argue the case for Jerusalem at the UN and the EU with the aim of having more nations recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. Legal foundation of Israel With the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel just around the corner, the debate over the legitimacy of Israel will again intensify. Is Israel a repressive colonial power which is suppressing its indigenous population like South Africa in the past, or is Israel, as we believe, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people which is clearly founded and recognized in international law? As the false narratives will be presented in international media again this year and the BDS movement will try to sell their apartheid state narrative to a young generation, Israel needs a solid defence based on international law and historical facts. We have played a part in providing this defence since 2010 when we rediscovered the significance of the San Remo Resolution of 1920. It was probably no coincidence that the young member of the Knesset who joined us for that event would later become the Israeli Ambassador at the UN, Danny Danon. Together we will continue to fight for Israel´s right to self-determination also in 2018. EU funding of hate education The Middle East conflict could perhaps have been solved many years ago if it was not for the generous European funding of the corrupt Palestinian Authority which has been investing millions in brainwashing their children into hating the Jews and inciting violence. This is the greatest obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians and one of the greatest miscalculations of the European Union as it disqualifies Europe from the role as an even-handed negotiator in the region. The diplomatic war against Israel is today a multimillion-dollar industry funded by the EU, Western governments and private foundations, whereas friends of Israel, like ECI, do not receive financial help from any of these sources. It is a sad fact that many international Christian institutions play a key role in this diplomatic war. In 2018 we will start calling them out by name and make them accountable to the Christian public. In other parts of society the problems with Palestinian hate education are slowly starting to sink in. Last year countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark began to openly reconsider their funding of the PA A light to the nations As well as fighting what is wrong, we should not forget to present the positive side of the story. While the international media is clearly dominated by negative news from Israel, we want to make known how Israel is indeed becoming a “light to the nations”, through, for example, introducing new technology and innovations to benefit developing countries in Africa and providing humanitarian relief to victims from hostile countries such as Syria and Iraq. Zionism continues to impact the nations. The more the nations learn about the history of the Jewish people and their aspirations, the more likely they are to understand the necessity of standing with Israel today. In 2018 we will continue to bring this message to the European Union and the United Nations, as through these institutions we can reach all the nations in the world. Anti-Semitism Whenever there is a crisis in the world, the blame is directed towards the Jewish people. The Jews are today being targeted by radical Islam, neo-Nazis, as well as left-wing extremists. But apart from these groups whose attitudes are nothing new, we now have to take note of the “sophisticated anti-Semites”- those who say they oppose Israel and the Jewish people on humanitarian grounds! (See video link of Jonathan Sacks.) While mainstream society will always condemn the traditional anti-Semites, the sophisticated anti-Semites are often portrayed as humanitarians and champions of human rights, fighting the evil schemes of the Jews.  This year we will start to call them by their true names. Thank you for helping us in taking on these, and many other challenges in 2018. Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018 Brussels - This month will mark the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. In a day and age of Holocaust denial and rising anti-Semitism in Europe, it is even more important to remember and honour the victims of the greatest crime against mankind and to learn how to take action to prevent it from happening again. As the recent events around Europe have revealed following the US recognition of Jerusalem, anti-Semitism is not a thing of the past but a clear and present danger in Europe today.  Anti-Semitism now appears in many shapes and forms, from outright violence on the streets to those who demand a ban on circumcision or kosher slaughter, thus making it impossible to live a traditional Jewish life in Europe. (See European report from November 2017.) The Christian world has a long history of anti-Semitism and the greatest crime against mankind took place in Christian Europe. Therefore, Christian churches have a special responsibility to commemorate the Holocaust and raise awareness of this plague in society today. For the last ten years ECI has encouraged churches across the world to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust on the Sunday closest to January 27th. This year Sunday January 28th will be Holocaust Memorial Sunday. We would again encourage you and your church, faith community or prayer group to take a moment in your Sunday service on January 28th to do this again. During this time some churches have also decided to take a voluntary collection for ECI and our work to combat anti-Semitism throughout the year. We are grateful for any contribution at this time of the year to promote our work to raise awareness and educate about the realities of anti-Semitism today. In collaboration with Perry Trotter and The Shadows of Shoah we will present videos of testimonies from Holocaust survivors on our website during the month of January. Please watch the videos together with your friends to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Second Annual National ECI Conference in London Britain, Israel and Europe – after the Brexit? How will UK policies toward Israel change with the decision to leave the EU? What are the opportunities and what are the threats when Britain leaves the EU? How can British citizens support Israel in this new environment? Come and listen to ECI staff and experts at the Second Annual National ECI Conference in London on January 13th. This is a good opportunity to learn more about ECI and our work at the European Union, the United Nations and in national capitals around Europe. Please register as soon as possible. We hope to see you in London on January 13th! The European Report – January 2018 Please watch our monthly talk show “The European Report” from the studio of the European Parliament on our website. This month's topic will be:  “70th Anniversary of the UN Partition Plan and what this means for Europe and Israel today”. Simon Barrett is joined by MEP Anders Vistisen, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell andAlex Benjamin from Europe Israel Public Affairs. Upcoming ECI events "Israel 70 years and ECI 15 years" ECI European Prayer Summit in Brussels 23-25 March 2018 More information coming soon.   For more information: www.ec4i.org - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you would like to support the work of the European Coalition for Israel, please click the "Donate" button below and you will find payment details, both for paying online and for bank transfers. Editor Tomas Sandell tomas.sandell@gmail.com Copyright © European Coalition for Israel

PRESS RELEASE

ECI marks Yom Kippur in official meeting with President of the UN General Assembly

New York, September 29th, 2017 – An official delegation of the European Coalition for Israel has met with the President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Miroslav Lajčák, to mark the UN recognition of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur which commences tonight, Friday evening.

It was only last year that the United Nations finally recognized Yom Kippur as an official UN holiday after more than 67 years of Israeli membership in the world organization. At the meeting President Lajčák stressed how this recognition was long overdue, and how the acceptance of Yom Kippur and the five other religious holidays* makes the UN more inclusive and reflects the religious diversity of the world organization better today compared to its founding in 1945.

Adding Yom Kippur to the list of official UN holidays was made possible thanks to the generous support of the US administration, which gave up its Presidents' Day as one of the existing holidays in order to make room for Yom Kippur and the five other religious holidays as rotating UN holidays.

At the meeting, ECI stressed the importance of not only respecting the holiest day in the Jewish calendar year but also emphasizing the universal values of forgiveness and reconciliation which this holiday conveys. The ten days between the Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShana) and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) are marked by deep introspection and soul searching.

"In an international community with increasing tension and polarization, these fundamental values and principles are now more important than ever," ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell said at the meeting. He pointed out that next month will mark the 40th anniversary of the first-ever visit of an Arab leader to Jerusalem, which paved the way for the peace accord between Israel and Egypt in 1979. "The historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt proves that even long-standing conflicts can be resolved when there is a genuine will for peace, and when this is translated into concrete acts of reconciliation, such as the historic visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem in 1977," he said.

In his remarks, ECI Director of UN Affairs Dr Gregory Lafitte pointed out that the Book ofJonah, which is read in Jewish synagogues around the world during Yom Kippur, has a universal message for all humanity and not only for the Jewish people.

"The story of Jonah is unique in that it illustrates God´s compassion for all people. This compassion also goes so far as to include animals, which is unique to the Jewish culture," he said.

In 2014, ECI hosted its first official diplomatic high-level Yom Kippur breakfast meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, where keynote speakers from Europe and Africa shared concrete examples on how forgiveness and reconciliation have been implemented in international relations in our days, from postwar reconciliation in Europe to the justice and reconciliation process in Rwanda after the genocide of 1994.

The meeting on Thursday morning in New York was part of the activities of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy, and consisted of its Co-Founders Tomas Sandell and Gregory Lafitte as well as the Honorary Chairman of ECI, J. Rudolf Geigy.



*The other five religious holidays which were recognized by the UN alongside Yom Kippur are the Day of Vesak, Diwali, Gurpurab, Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox Good Friday.




 

For more information: www.ec4i.org - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MONTHLY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2017

ECI marks 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel
– Time for Europe to celebrate the Jewish state

Basel – In an unexpected turn of events, the European Coalition for Israel ended up hosting the only official event to mark the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel on August 31st, 2017. When the Israeli government unexpectedly called off its plans to host an official commemoration event in Basel, there were suddenly no official events planned to mark this momentous date in the history of the Jewish people. That all changed when ECI stepped in at short notice to host a celebratory dinner in the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois on Thursday August 31st.

In his welcoming remarks ECI Founding DirectorTomas Sandell reminded the audience of the fact that Europe is at the same time both the birth place of the Jewish state and the largest graveyard of the Jewish people anywhere in the world.
“As we study Jewish history in Europe, we see two different paths, one of crusades, pogroms and Holocaust and another of flourishing life and new birth. One path led to cursing and death while the other has led to blessings and life”, he said. “One path is symbolized by the Dreyfustrial in Paris in 1895, and the rise of Hitler in Berlin in 1933 followed by the Kristallnacht in 1938 which later culminated in the Holocaust. The other path is marked by the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, the Balfour Declaration in London in 1917 and the recognition of the rights of the Jewish people to reconstitute their own national home in Israel in San Remo in 1920. Which path do we choose today?” He concluded by quoting the words in the Book of Deuteronomy which challenge us to “choose life so that you and your children may live”.

Special guest of honour, Prince Philip Kiril von Preussen, shared how his great-great-grandfather, the last Emperor of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II had chosen the wrong path by denying Theodor Herzl his request to become the protector of a Jewish national home in the land of Israel. “A few years later Germany lost the war and the Kaiser lost his crown which paved the way for the rise to power of Hitler and the Holocaust. Instead of choosing an obvious blessing over Germany he may instead have chosen a curse”, he concluded.

The Israeli Ambassador to Switzerland, Jacob Keidar, thanked ECI for hosting the evening, thus averting a situation where the 31st of August would have passed unnoticed in this birthplace of the Jewish state. The head of the Jewish community in Basel, Guy Rueff, explained how the federal government had marked the 120th anniversary two weeks earlier, but thanked ECI for honouring Basel on the very day of the anniversary by hosting a celebratory dinner. He reminded the audience that Basel was chosen in 1897 because of the support of its Christian population. “This friendship and support remains very important to this very day, hence it was appropriate that a Christian group such as ECI decided to mark the 120th anniversary with its own celebration”, he added.

Sandell commented that the gathering was being hosted in the spirit of such great men as Reverend William Heschler and Henri Dunant who were among the ten Christians who took part in the First Zionist Congress. “As a coalition we want to build on this same legacy of friendship with the Jewish people and the state of Israel”, he affirmed.

The celebratory dinner was preceded by a separate prayer conference hosted by Global Prayer Call Founding Director, Harald Eckert, where the chaplain of Christ Church in Jerusalem, David Pileggi, gave a presentation of the role of the Christian leader William Heschler in assisting Theodor Herzl to achieve his dream of a Zionist congress and a Jewish state.

Gregory Lafitte: The West needs to recognize its Jewish roots

Basel – The keynote address of the evening was given by Dr. Gregory Lafitte from the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy who reminded the audience that the delegates in Basel 120 years ago were not merely politicians but writers, thinkers and members of academia. He quoted the philosopherLeo Strauss in saying that “Political Zionism has to be based on culture”.

Lafitte went on to speak about the two cultures which have formed the Western civilization, namely Greek culture and Jewish culture. “Whereas the Greek contribution has been properly recognized, this has not been the case for the Jewish foundation. Now the international community also needs to recognize its Jewish roots”, he said.
“Jewish culture has often run the risk of being assimilated or absorbed into Greek culture. Our civilization owes more to Jerusalem than to Athens”, he stressed, envisioning a day and age when our Jewish heritage takes centre stage in our culture and there is a real return to Zion.

“Zionism is something more than the re-creation of a Jewish state”, he emphasized, quoting Theodor Herzl who described the essence of Zionism as an “infinite ideal”. In his speech he contrasted Greek thinking with Jewish thinking, explaining and illustrating the differences.
In Greek thinking everything centres on the finite and tragic reason, while in Jewish culture it centres on the infinite and hope. Greek culture seeks solutions in the here and now, but Jewish thinking also presents hope for the future and gives a vision for eternity. Most importantly, Greek gods are in the image of man, while in Jewish culture man is created in the image of God.

He did not intend to dismiss Greek culture, but wanted rather to establish its proper place and significance in today’s culture. Jewish culture has been sadly neglected in the past and it is now high time for the world to also recognize its place and significance in our Western culture. This has been the objective of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy which was set up by ECI at the United Nations in New York to present and bring attention to the many Jewish contributions to the international community in its quest for world peace.

In closing he noted that the Zionist vision has not yet been fully realized with the establishment of a Jewish state. “The fulfilment of the Zionist vision is not yet over, not yet complete. Herzl's dream —his first congress address— is still valid —alive— today. Yes, the State of Israel has been re-created - Jews no longer have to be content with the only alternative solution of assimilation into another culture. But the vision still needs to be fulfilled —not only at the individual level, but at the state level. The State of Israel should not be forced to be just a reconstituted state, like any other Greek-like state, but should be recognized as a Jewish State, and fully play its role as a light to the nations."

The full speech will be published later and posted on the website of the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy.

Palestinian Authority renews its curriculum –
ECI: Europe should stop financing radicalization and hate

Brussels – The Palestinian Authority (PA) is committed under the Oslo Accords to prepare its citizens for coexistence and peace. However, as ECI has pointed out many times before, the realities on the ground in the Palestinian territories reveal a very different agenda.
Through a culture of hate and demonization, the Palestinian Authority continues to incite violence against the Jewish population and to honour and reward convicted terrorists and suicide bombers.

This month, the Palestinian Authority will present a new curriculum for their schools which, despite international protests, continue to demonize the Jewish people and make no effort to prepare their children for peace and co-existence. The content of Palestinian text books has been criticized for many years but despite the scrutiny the curriculum has not changed.
Part of the blame comes back to the European Union which is the largest institutional donor to the Palestinian Authority and has the responsibility to ensure that its generous funding paves the way to peace and not to further radicalization. Within the European Union, a few member states have taken the lead in helping the PA to create a new curriculum for their schools. These countries are Finland, Norway, Ireland and the Netherlands. The committee is today chaired by Finland which has received world recognition for its own educational system. But the fact of the matter is that today Finland and other EU-member states are exporting radicalization to one of the most volatile regions in the world and are not aiding progress and development. ECI will be engaging with the above-mentioned governments and with the EU to make sure that we in Europe live up to our commitments to universal values and peace.

We are ECI

ECI board meets in Jerusalem and prepares for 15th anniversary

Jerusalem – As the European Coalition for Israel prepares for its 15th anniversary next year, the board and staff of ECI met this month in Jerusalem for an important board meeting. In contrast to last year, when the board met with Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, this year the focus was on internal issues.

“As ECI moves on from the pioneering phase, it is important for us to pause and look back over the last 15 years while we also look towards the future”, Tomas Sandell said. “As with physical buildings, man-made organizations also need renovation and fine-tuning over time. So ECI needs to develop and adapt to better meet the growing demands of the future.”

The current board consists of Tor G. Gull (chairman), Bedros Nassanian (vice-chairman),Rick Ridings, Antti Hämäläinen and Bo Sander. Also present in Jerusalem were Tomas Sandell, Katariina Salmi, Ruth Daskalopoulou-Isaac, Gregory Lafitte and Andrew Tucker.

One of the issues discussed at the meeting was the concept of “ECI presenters” who could help spread information about the work of ECI across Europe and the world, as ECI board and staff members are mostly busy reaching decision makers. As new board member Bo Sander noted:
“ECI has a great potential in its current network of friends. But we need to become better at pointing out that ECI is not supported by the European Union or any government agency but is a charity which depends solely on the generosity of its supporters. By providing volunteers with a power point presentation and other educational material they can become our ambassadors among fellow friends of Israel who do not yet know about the work of ECI."
These, and other plans, will be presented more in detail throughout the year as a special working group will prepare the vision for ECI 2025.


 European Report is back in the studio in the European Parliament to discuss significance of Zionism, 120 years after the First Zionist Congress

Brussels – The European Coalition for Israel has now returned to the European Parliament after the summer recess to meet with Members of the European Parliament and to record a new edition of the European Report talk show where the significance of Zionism today, 120 years after the First Zionist Congress in Basel, was discussed. In the panel this month, you will hear from Simon Barrett, Tomas Sandell, Pastor Greg Cumming and Danish MEP Anders Primdahl Vistisen. Please watch the programme on our website.

Save the date

23-25 March, 2017
ECI European Prayer Summit in Brussels
"Israel 70 years and ECI 15 years"

For more information: www.ec4i.org - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information: www.ec4i.org - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

PRESS RELEASE

ECI marks 120th Anniversary of First Zionist Congress in Basel
- Herzl's dream still valid today

Basel, August 31st, 2017 – Despite cancelled plans of the State of Israel to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel this week, a celebratory dinner was hosted on Thursday night by the European Coalition for Israel and Forum for Cultural Diplomacy. The event took place in the historical Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois where Theodor Herzl stayed during the congress in 1897.

The Israeli ambassador to Switzerland, Jacob Keidar thanked the Christian group for making sure that this momentous event in Jewish history was properly celebrated in Basel on the very day of the anniversary. The official national event to mark the anniversary was held two weeks earlier at the same location. The head of the Jewish community in Basel, Guy Rueff explained why Basel was chosen in 1897 as the host city of this historical congress. "While the Zionist vision was rejected in Munich and Zurich seemed too risky for the organisers, the general population in Basel seemed favourable to the Jewish cause," he said.

In his keynote address Dr Gregory Lafitte pointed out that the vision of Theodor Herzl may have come to pass with the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 but believed the fulfilment of his dream is not yet over, not yet complete. He went on to quote Theodor Herzl who once called Zionism “an infinite ideal.” Herzl was of the opinion that Zionism will not cease to be an ideal even after the Jewish people attain their land, the land of Israel.

He went on to describe Jerusalem and Athens as the two major foundations of the Western world. The West needs to recognize them. Its Greek source has already been duly recognized. The West now needs to recognize also its Jewish roots, he said.

Prince Philip Kiril von Preussen spoke about the failure of his great great grandfather, the last emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II to help the Jewish cause.

"History could have taken another turn if Kaiser Wilhelm would have agreed to become the protector of the Jewish state in Israel as requested by Theodor Herzl," he said. Sadly, also for Germany, the Kaiser refused. Shortly after Germany lost the First World War and the Emperor lost his crown. It would not take long before Hitler came to power and the rest is history.

The host of the evening, Founding Director of ECI, Tomas Sandell pointed out the importance of remembering the important dates in Jewish history which have paved the way for the creation of the Jewish state.

"August 31st, 1897, the closing date of the First Zionist Congress is one such date," he said. "In a day and age when Jewish history in the land of Israel is being denied by UNESCO resolutions and many Jews have to hide their identity in Europe, it is important that we learn to properly recognize and celebrate these milestones also in Europe."

PRESS RELEASE

ECI takes part in The Israeli Film and TV Festival in London
- promoting more cultural exchange between Europe and Israel

London, May 19th, 2017 – The European Coalition for Israel (ECI) hosted a special screening of the Israeli film “Harmonia” at the Odeon Cinema Swiss Cottage in London on Tuesday night. The screening was part of The Israeli Film and TV Festival which is currently running in London, presenting new Israeli films to an international audience.

“The reason why ECI got involved in the Israeli film festival is twofold”, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell explained in London on Tuesday night.

“While some pockets of academia and the cultural community in Europe want to boycott Israel, we want to promote Israeli life and culture. Where would Europe be today if was not for the influence of good Israeli literature, starting with the Jewish Bible”, he asked. “Actively promoting and celebrating Israeli culture is the best possible antidote to BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and other forms of anti-Semitism”, he added.

By hosting the screening at The Israeli Film and TV Festival in London, ECI also was also expressing its commitment to Britain as an important ally for the European Coalition for Israel regardless of the Brexit vote. “Britain may have voted to leave the European Union, but it will remain an active member of the 47 member strong Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In addition to this, Britain is currently playing an important role in the reshaping of attitudes and policies in favour of Israel at the United Nations”, he commented.

Last year ECI hosted its first national conference in London and another conference is scheduled to be held there later this year.

The interest in the Israeli film was much greater than expected and the screening on Tuesday night was quickly sold out.
The film “Harmonia” tells the Biblical story of Sarah and Hagar in a modern Israeli setting and was well received by the invited audience. The screening began with a reception and brief presentations of the work of ECI by Tomas Sandell and the local organizer, ECI Young Adult Leaders Caroline Giraldo and Elena Zelibabkova. The screening was co-hosted by local Jewish community leader Elias Fattal who has been successfully reaching out to Christian communities in Britain for more than fifteen years.

MONTHLY REPORT - APRIL 2017

ECI Annual Policy Conference provides solid defence for united Jerusalem despite hostile EU environment
 

Brussels - The European Coalition for Israel provided a solid defence for a united Jerusalem at the Annual Policy Conference in the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday March 30th. The theme of this year’s conference was “Jerusalem – is Europe supporting or undermining peace in the Holy City?”

Despite consistent EU support for a re-dividing of Jerusalem and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state with the Old City of Jerusalem as its capital, ECI firmly rejected any such measures in its policy conference.

In an open letter which was presented to the Head of the Middle East Unit of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Raul Fuentes Milani, ECI explained why only a united Jerusalem can preserve peace in the Holy City and guarantee the freedom of worship for all religions. Keynote speaker Dr. Dore Gold from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs told the audience that “the EU will have to choose between two schools of thought: one that protects holy sites and another one that seeks to destroy them.” In his speech he gave concrete evidence from recent years of what jihadists are capable of doing and have done in the name of radical Islam. In 2001 the Taliban blew up a 2000-year old Buddha statute in Afghanistan and in 2004 Palestinian militants occupied and desecrated the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Due to an intervention by the EU, the terrorists were later given exile in Europe and in Gaza.

The political highlight of the conference was a personal message from UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in which she clarified her personal stance on the sensitive issue of Jerusalem by saying: “to deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim tradition undermines the integrity of the city of Jerusalem and runs counter to the reasons that justify its inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage list."

The message from the head of UNESCO has been widely circulated in the international press and came after ECI had extended a personal invitation to her to address the policy conference. Although being unavailable to attend in person she insisted that UNESCO would be represented at the highest possible level and sent her Deputy Director Genc Seiti to deliver her statement.

In a personal message to ECI, Ms. Bokova expressed her sincere appreciation for the constructive role that ECI has played in defending the historical truths about Jerusalem while at the same time being able to differentiate between the vote of the member states in the passing of anti-Israeli resolutions and the clear stance of the Director-General in distancing herself from these same resolutions.

For a more detailed report on the policy conference please read the press release here.

ECI Open Letter receives endorsement from Mayor of Jerusalem

Jerusalem – The ECI Open Letter for a united Jerusalem which was first presented in the European Parliament at the Annual Policy Conference on March 30th has received the full endorsement from the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat.

Two weeks prior to the conference the Mayor received ECI Founding DirectorTomas Sandell in his office in Jerusalem where he expressed his gratitude for all the ECI work in support for a united Jerusalem throughout the years. While not being able to participate in the annual conference in person, he sent an official video message which was shown during the conference.

The open letter will be circulated among political and spiritual leaders ahead of the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem and will then be officially presented to the Mayor of Jerusalem.

Already in 2011 ECI collected over 60,000 hand written signatures, among them many prominent politicians, in support for a united Jerusalem, at the time when the PLO was threatening to make a unilateral declaration of statehood at the UN.

There are several ECI initiatives planned for the coming months in support for a united Jerusalem, as anti-Israel groups are planning large demonstrations and protests against what they call “50 years of occupation”. In Dublin, Ireland, the Palestinian flag will fly at the City Hall for one whole month, starting on May 15th, as a protest against the “occupation”.

 

ECI Member Organization received by the President of Israel

Jerusalem – The Netherlands based “Christians for Israel International” was warmly received by the President of the State of Israel,Reuven Rivlin, during their annual conference which was held in Jerusalem in the middle of March. At the meeting, which took place in the official residence of the President, he spoke once again about how his family has lived in Jerusalem since 1809, thus refuting the claim that Jews have no history in Jerusalem. In his short remarks he said that he believes the Messiah will one day return to Jerusalem. He thanked Christians for Israel International for their work in helping Jews make aliyah to Israel and for their support for a united Jerusalem.

Their conference concluded with a reception where, among others, Deputy MinisterMichael Oren spoke on behalf of the government of Israel. In his speech Dr. Oren reminded the audience of the central role of Christians in Europe and the USA in the birthing of the Jewish state.

Christians for Israel International is one of the founding members of European Coalition for Israel. Its President, Willem Glashouwer, was the first elected chairman of ECI, and today the Executive Director of Christians for Israel International, Andrew Tucker, serves as the Legal Counsel of ECI.

 

ECI Founding Director speaks at Oslo Symposium ahead of Norwegian elections

 

Oslo – ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell was one of the keynote speakers at the Oslo Symposium, just a few months ahead of the parliamentary elections in Norway. The Oslo Symposium brings together the Christian electorate to hear leading Norwegian politicians each present their platform for the upcoming elections and has traditionally included a panel on Israel, which continues to be a central issue in the Christian vote in Norway.

Sandell had the honour to share on the panel with the Israeli Ambassador to Norway,Raphael Schutz, Mosab Hassan Yousef (alias: “Son of Hamas”), and Juergen Buehler, the President of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). They all presented the case for Israel as the only stable democracy in a region of increasing chaos and a country which deserves the full support of the Norwegian government. Since the last election when a centre-right coalition took power, Norway has rejected its previous anti-Israel policy and has become a true friend of Israel. However, civil society in Norway is still considered to be one of the strongest bastions for the BDS movement, and if the government changes in September this could pose a new threat to Israel’s security. ECI wishes to congratulate the organisers, Kristenfolket, Norge i Dag and ICEJ Norway, for an interesting and well-attended conference.