BRUSSELS – A solidarity mission of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) to Brussels will take place next Monday following the terrorist attack last Saturday at the city’s Jewish Museum, in which three people were killed and one gravely wounded. The mission will be led by WJC President Ronald S. Lauder and include more than 30 senior representatives of Jewish communities from around the world.
The delegation will hold talks with Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Interior Minister Joëlle Milquet, Justice Minister Annemie Turtelboom, the head of Cabinet of the King of the Belgians, Frans van Daele, and the heads of the Jewish Museum, Philippe Blondin, and the Jewish community umbrella body CCOJB, Maurice Sosnowski.
“This visit to Brussels will take place on the eve of Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah to the entire nation of Israel at the foot of the Mount Sinai. So on Monday, by bringing together Jews from all over the world to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of Belgium, we are guided by the message of Shavuot, which embodies the notion that all Jews are responsible for one another,” Ronald S. Lauder declared.
He added: “The entire Jewish world has been shocked by the horrible attack in the center of Brussels last week, and we lament the fact that very little seems to be known about the background of these murders. We must now stand united with the community, and we also expect to get answers from Belgium’s politicians what will be done to ensure that the safety of Jews and Jewish institutions is improved and that Jews do not feel threatened.”
