World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder on Thursday evening received the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, at Lauder’s Neue Galerie art gallery in Manhattan. Discussions centered on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and current political developments in the wider Middle East, the international response to the Iranian nuclear program, and growing anti-Jewish sentiment in a number of European countries.

Barroso, who prior to the meeting had addressed the United Nations General Assembly, and Lauder agreed about the urgent need to re-launch peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

Lauder gave the European Commission president his assessment on the recent formation of an Israeli unity government with the head of the EU executive.

Barroso, who prior to the meeting had addressed the United Nations General Assembly, and Lauder agreed about the urgent need to re-launch peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Lauder gave the European Commission president his assessment on the recent formation of an Israeli unity government with the head of the EU executive.

The WJC president also raised concerns about the dangerous incitement by extremist parties against Jews and other minorities in certain European countries, notably Hungary and Greece, and urged the EU to take strong action against fanatics. Lauder also expressed worries about the “widespread and growing trend not just in Europe to unfairly single out the Jewish state for blame when something goes wrong.” Rather, Israel should be seen as an ally by the West.

Also present at the meeting were the EU’s ambassador in New York, Thomas Mayr-Harting, WJC Secretary General Dan Diker and WJC Deputy Secretary General Maram Stern. After their exchange of views, Ronald S. Lauder showed José Manuel Barroso and his wife Maria the Neue Galerie which the art collector had founded in 2001 and which includes many well-known paintings such as Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.