The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), Australia’s leading organisation fighting hatred in all its forms, has strongly denounced a speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the European Parliament in which he promoted the pernicious lie that, “Only a week ago, a number of rabbis in Israel announced, and made a clear announcement, demanding that their government poison the water to kill the Palestinians. Isn’t that clear incitement to commit mass killings against the Palestinian people?” Abbas also outrageously stated that Israel is the root cause of terrorism around the world, “Once the occupation ends, terrorism will disappear, there will be no more terrorism in the Middle East, or anywhere else in the world”.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“These kinds of disturbing and malicious canards, drawing on classic, age-old anti-Semitic myths, have no place in the European Parliament and in the public square, and only further stoke the flames of Palestinian incitement that has led to the death and wounding of hundreds of Israelis over the last year. The blood libel that Jews poisoned wells, especially in Europe, led to the slaughter of countless number of Jews, and is a notorious slander that endured throughout the centuries, and obviously still endures today. We are also disappointed that instead of rebuking and vigorously condemning such incendiary anti-Jewish rhetoric, President Abbas’ speech was welcomed with a standing ovation by elected officials and parliamentarians. This is not the positive and significant role Europe can play in fostering a return to the negotiating table, particularly at a time when President Abbas has refused an invitation by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to meet. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be resolved by a leader who clearly is not interested in dialogue and reconciliation, and who prefers to traffic in dangerous, bigoted lies.”
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.