Jewish student leaders on Wednesday issued a statement in which they denounced Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli’s comments on the pride parade and Reform communities,  ahead of his scheduled speech at the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Tel Aviv.

Alexander Benjamin of the European Jewish Association, said: “This statement regarding Minister Chikli cannot be left unanswered. It is wreckless and irresponsible.’’

 

The European Jewish Association (EJA), a Brussels-based group representing Jewish communities across Europe, has condemns a statement made by Jewish students leaders about Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, cvalling them “wreckless and irresponsible.”  

The Jewish student leaders on Wednesday issued a statement in which they denounced Minister Chikli’s comments on the pride parade and Reform communities,  ahead of his scheduled speech at the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Tel Aviv.

“We cannot normalize extremist views. At a time when Jews in the Diaspora face rising antisemitism, it is unconscionable for anyone who professes to be a Jewish leader to incite hatred towards other Jews. Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs does not speak for the Diaspora. He does not speak for the stduents we have been elected to represent,” the students wrote in their statement signed by Avitaal Grinberg, president of the European Union of Jewish Students, Joel Rosen, president of the Union of Jewish Students in the UK and Ireland, and Alissa Foster, president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students

Alexander Benjamin, EJA Brussels Office Director for the EJA, said: “This statement regarding Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism, Mr Amichai Chikli cannot be left unanswered. It is wreckless and irresponsible.’’

“We absolutely condemn their statement and its message. European Jewry should not interfere with Israeli politics,’’ he said.

“For many years all mainstream Jewish organisations worldwide worked with any elected government in Israel despite differences of opinion and this should continue to remain the case.,’’ he added.

“The Jewish state is an independent and democratic country and its government represent its citizens. Young people who publicly attack the world’s only Jewish state and its democratically elected public representatives are displaying a breathtaking arrogance, a naivety, and a wreckless and irresponsible attitude to the very country that represents their insurance  policy,’’ Benjamin said.

“Additionally, just as there is not one single European body representing all Jews, so there is not one single body representing all Jewish Students. “Nonetheless, any body purporting to speak for Jewish students operating at a pan-european level, has a deep responsibility towards European Jewry.’’