A World Jewish Congress mission comprised of 38 international Jewish leaders was in Brussels to express solidarity with Belgium’s Jewish community following the deadly attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels on 24 May 2014.
The delegation, led by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, paid homage to the three victims at the museum and met with Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Interior Minister Joëlle Milquet and Justice Minister Annemie Turtelboom. Both sides agreed on the necessity to strengthen cooperation on a European and world-wide level to prevent further deadly attacks such as the one committed at the Jewish Museum.
The prime minister also agreed to set up a joint commission of the government, the WJC and the Jewish community of Belgium tasked with identifying measures to improve security for the Jewish community, to fight growing hatred, including on the internet, to strengthen Holocaust education in schools and to facilitate the exchange of information.
Speaking outside the Jewish museum in central Brussels, where on 24 May 2014 three people were killed and one gravely wounded, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder told reporters: “What we don’t want is that a young generation of Jews grows up with fear.”
The meetings in the Belgian and European capital came a day after French police apprehended a suspect in the shooting rampage.
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter
The latest from the Jewish world
