Middle East
Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, slammed the announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it will open an investigation into possible war crimes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

ADL urged the  full House and Senate to support the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act to ensure the Palestinian Authority’s official textbooks stop teaching intolerance to children.   

The House of Representatives was commended on passage of H Res 326, a resolution emphasizing the importance of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and encouraging all parties to avoid measures that could make this objective harder to achieve.

After a brutal crackdown on protests across the country, ADL called on the international community to do more to stop the Iranian regime’s use of  violence to suppress opposition and target religious and other ethnic minorities.

Jonathan Greenblatt congratulated Natan Sharansky on being awarded the Genesis Prize.  In a letter he wrote: “I can think of no one more deserving of this honor. You have dedicated your life to advocating on behalf of the Jewish people and for human rights, fighting anti-Semitism, bigotry and discrimination and working to promote democratic values in Israel and across the world…”

Europe

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the French court decision to not hold the killer of Sarah Halimi responsible for her anti-Semitic murder, “unacceptable.”  The court said the perpetrator was apparently on drugs at the time of the attack.  

ADL praised the French parliament for adopting the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism.  

ADL attended the “After Halle: Words to Action Against Antisemitism” conference hosted by the European Parliament Working group on antisemitism, EJC and B’nai B’rith.

ADL welcomed the commitment by the new British government to counter BDS campaigns in the public sector.

“Important” decision by the German parliament to reject Hezbollah activity in Germany was welcomed.

Portugal was congratulated for its new membership in IHRA.

Latin America
Sharon Nazarian, SVP for International Affairs, welcomed Bolivia’s renewal of diplomatic ties with Israel.

Global
ADL condemned anti-Semitic attacks and trends globally including:  A Nazi themed video in Argentina;  the release of annual data on anti-Semitic incidents in Australia; a mass cemetery desecration and an attack on the subway in France; attacks against students in Germany (here and here); Iran’s Khameni praises a Holocaust denier; attacks on rabbi and students in the UK; and the vandalism of a monument in Ukraine.  

ADL joined with the Canadian Jewish community in welcoming the Student Society of McGill University’s rejection of a discriminatory motion targeting of a Jewish student who agreed to participate in a trip to Israel.  ADL had condemned the singling out of the Jewish student and called on university administrators to step in.  

Anton Shulepov and the International Skating Union were called out for Holocaust imagery in his routine and his nomination for “costume of the year."

The House was commended for passing the UIGHUR Act, addressing the egregious human rights abuses such as mass arbitrary detention targeting the Uyghur people and other Turkic Muslims simply because of their faith or beliefs.

ADL endorsed a bi-partisan Senate letter calling on Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to fully cooperate with the International Court of Justice’s investigation into the Burmese military’s genocide against the Rohingya people.

The decision by the University of Cape Town to rescind an academic boycott of Israel motion was welcomed.

International Affairs in the Regions

Atlanta:

ADL Leadership met with German Consul General Heike Fuller and discussed the rise of white supremacy in the United States and American South, trends and data that ADL’s Center on Extremism have been noting, and possible collaboration on programming for 2020.  

Florida: 

GLI classes in Boca Raton and Miami focused on International Affairs with Liat Altman, ADL’s Director of Latin American Affairs, who spoke with each class about ADL’s global agenda.  The Miami meeting was hosted at the Consulate of Mexico, and Consul General Jonathan Chait spoke to the GLI class about the importance of ADL’s MOU with Mexico and the trainings conducted with Mexican Consulates in Miami and Orlando.

Jerusalem:

ADL Israel Director Carole Nuriel spoke at the NGO Monitor conference on The Future of Human Rights in an Era of Increased Antisemitism on recent trends and practical solutions to combatting anti-Semitism.    

ADL Israel began its 3rd year of anti-bias programs at the Paula Ben Gurion school in Jerusalem, where 15% of its students are asylum seekers and children of foreign workers.

San Francisco: 

ADL hosted a delegation from Pakistan to discuss countering violent extremism.