2 No. 67 JUSTICE his issue of JUSTICE goes to press on the eve of November 29, the historic date when the UN General Assembly passed the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine (Resolution 181(II)). The achievements of the State of Israel since then have been noteworthy in a host of fields. However, the spectre of antisemitism that Israel—and the Jewish People—still face has not been overcome. In this regard, I strive to steer the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IJL) as a primarily litigatory organization, an organization that focuses on the core legal issues facing the Jewish People and the State of Israel internationally. (This is symbolized by the cover of this issue, featuring images of international and supreme courts in different countries.) Noteworthy among our legal concerns is Iran. It is important to provide proof of Iran’s violation of the Genocide Convention. We firmly believe that Iran must be held accountable for state sanctioned incitement to genocide. States parties to the Genocide Convention have a legal responsibility to enforce, prevent and punish such incitement and hold Iran to account. The Legal Center for Combating Antisemitism, headed by Adv. Avraham Yishai, deals with a range of legal issues, all in Europe. These issues include: – Shechita (kosher slaughter). Following the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruling that EU member states can legally ban stun-free slaughter of cows, Belgium has ruled on this subject, and a similar ruling has been rendered in Greece. The Center is preparing legal action to challenge these rulings through various channels. –Victims of antisemitic activity. The“Agen Ami”project provides legal assistance to victims of antisemitic activity in various Jewish communities. A pilot is operating in Barcelona, Riga, Moldova (Kishinev), and Leipzig. – Holocaust denial online. The Center has also worked in Germany and Poland on various issues over the past year, including Holocaust denial online; systematic closure of criminal cases initiated by enforcement authorities on grounds of antisemitic events; and protecting freedom of research on the Shoah era. The Center expects to expand its activities and legal responses on these and other subjects in the coming year. Developments in Poland continue to raise concern, the latest manifestation being an antisemitic incident involving Polish nationalists chanting “Death to Jews” on Poland’s Independence Day. Participants at a Kalish gathering also burned a copy of a medieval document that offered Jews protection and rights in Polish lands. I have personally sent a letter of complaint to Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice and Public Prosecutor General of the Republic of Poland, protesting this and other incidents, with the expectation that legal steps will be taken to punish individuals responsible for these shameful events in accordance with the relevant provisions of Polish law. At the UN Human Rights Council, the IJL continues to raise relevant issues, including the rise of antisemitic incidents around the world, the renewal of age-old antisemitic myths, blood-libels, and conspiracy theories against Jewish people in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, as well as blaming the local Jewish population for any escalation that has taken place in the Israeli-Palestinian context. The IJL has also continued to stand against the biased anti-Israel agenda item 7 of the Council. Moreover, as a human rights organization, we deem it paramount to address pressing issues from around the world. At the recent session of the Human Rights Council, our representative, Ido Rosenzweig, addressed the decision of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to deny secondary education to girls over the age of twelve, and called on the Council to take this matter into its hands. Unfortunately, as we look towards the Council’s sessions in 2022, we cannot expect any major improvement regarding the Council’s approach towards Israel. At the Council’s 70th session (June 2022), the Commission of Inquiry on the events of April-May 2021 will present its initial report. As always, the IJL will President’s Message T Meir Linzen Photo: Ami Erlich
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