Photo: Serge Weinber
A delegation from the European Jewish Congress (EJC) has met with senior European Union officials in Brussels to discuss issues of concern to Europe's Jews. The delegation, headed by EJC president Moshe Kantor, voiced its support for legislation to stiffen penalties for hate crimes, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. European responses to the Iranian nuclear threat and the promotion of EU's strategic, political and diplomatic relations with Israel were also discussed.
The EJC delegation met with the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, the EU commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the EU commissioner in charge of justice, freedom and security, Jacques Barrot.
The EJC leadership raised the issue of EU sanctions against Iran. The European Union last week approved new sanctions against Iran, including the freezing of assets of the country's biggest bank, Melli. It also listed 20 Iranian companies and 15 individuals linked to Tehran's nuclear program who will be affected by the new sanctions. Moshe Kantor has repeatedly called on the EU to speed up implementation of sanctions against business interests cooperating with Iran's nuclear program. "If Iran, the center of world terror today, goes nuclear, threats of terrorist attacks in Europe will make peaceful life here unthinkable," the EJC president said, adding: "A nuclear Iran will accelerate the race for nuclear weapons among its neighbors and further destabilize world peace."
