How should we interpret the fact that you are standing for office?
My motivation is to see this institution that is supposed to represent the whole of European Judaism have a real influential role with European institutions. European institutions are becoming increasingly important, and the issues at stake are extremely serious. I’m thinking of the Iranian nuclear threat, the fact that the conference known as Durban 2 in April in Geneva is likely to be a farce, and the anti-Semitic acts committed throughout Europe. The voice of European Jews must be heard loud and clear. This voice will not be heard if the president of the European Jewish Congress is not a citizen of one of the 27 European Union countries. The outgoing president is Russian (not a country of the EU). What’s more, he’s an important businessman which means that he cannot give all his time to being president of the European Jewish Congress.
My program is to make our voice heard on Iran and on Durban 2, to demand the severe application of unified legislation to fight anti-Semitism, including on the Internet, to promote Jewish education, which is the only defence against assimilation, to honour the victims of the Holocaust and to support Israel. All this must be carried out in close cooperation with the directors of the National Jewish institutions.
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