No Price on Justice in Oberlander Case

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) recently expressed its support for the Canadian government as it persistently seeks to revoke the Canadian citizenship of Helmut Oberlander - a former member of a Nazi death squad who is on Simon Wiesenthal Center's list of most wanted Nazi criminals. The government has so far spent more than $2 million over the last 23 years on the case.

In a statement released Friday, FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo also expressed outrage over a statement made by a past German Canadian Congress president, who said that he doesn't want his "money spent in a frivolous way" and that it's "unfair what they are doing to Mr. Oberlander".

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Former FSWC Intern Heads to Law School!

FSWC congratulates Corey LeBlanc on being accepted into Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. Corey was a dedicated intern at FSWC who went on to also work as a research consultant for the organization.

 "The FSWC is extremely happy for Corey, who has worked hard and deserves such success," said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. "This achievement is not surprising for someone as determined and focused as Corey." 

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center Visits Hamilton Catholic Schools

Throughout last week, FSWC's Tour for Humanity visited numerous Catholic high schools across Hamilton, reaching an estimated 500 students. Speaking with a reporter from Stoney Creek News on Thursday, educator Daniella explained one of the workshops that focus on the topic of genocide. "It comes down to that very first stage: us versus them.... (Genocide) begins with turning people against each other and that's where these kids have the power to stop that from happening." 

This week the bus will be in Perth, Belleville and Ameliasburgh.

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Through Tour for Humanity and other educational programs, FSWC's work is focused on making the world a better place every day. Your support is what makes this possible. 

Click here to donate.

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Germany Averaged Four Antisemitic Hate Crimes Daily in 2017

According to a newspaper report published over the weekend, German police registered a total of 1,453 crimes that targeted Jews or Jewish institutions in 2017. The crimes included acts of violence, cases of property damage and, most commonly, cases of incitement. In 95 per cent of the cases, police determined that the crimes were driven by right-wing motives, while 33 crimes were committed by foreign-born antisemites.

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Israeli Soldiers Attacked After Accidentally Entering City in West Bank

Two Israeli soldiers were violently attacked today by a group of Palestinians after accidentally driving in the Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank. The soldiers' vehicle was hit with rocks and chairs for what Jenin's deputy governor called "nationalist motives." The female soldier was taken to a nearby Israeli hospital for treatment.

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Polish PM Urges Citizens to Avoid Making Antisemitic Statements

Yesterday Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on Poland's citizens to avoid making antisemitic remarks, stating, "Let's avoid it like the plague, even the dumb, unnecessary jokes." The prime minister's comments, which were made during a town hall meeting, come after the country's president signed into law a bill that criminalizes blaming Poland for crimes committed during the Holocaust. 

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From the Arab World

On Saturday, Israel and the Syrian-Iranian alliance were engaged in a confrontation that resulted in an Israeli F-16, an Iranian-made drone and numerous military targets within Syria getting destroyed. An Iranian drone initially took off from an airbase in Syria, flying over Israel for more than a minute before it was destroyed. Israeli jets then took off, destroying Iranian military targets, followed by Syrian forces firing missiles at Israeli jets, damaging an Israeli F-16.

Qatar and Israel are reportedly working closely to provide aid to Gaza. During an interview with the Associate Press, Mohammed Al-Emadi, head of Qatar's Gaza reconstruction committee, said, "Without the help of Israel, nothing happens." He stated that over the years he has developed a cordial relationship with his Israeli counterpart and has encouraged donor nations to respond to Israeli appeals to fund larger-scale projects for Gaza.

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FSWC Announces Tony Comper and BMO as Platinum Sponsors of Spirit of Hope 2018

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center was pleased to announce Tony Comper and BMO as platinum sponsors of Spirit of Hope 2018. Join us at this year's fundraising dinner, which will include an incredible lineup of speakers - including a panel moderated by 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan and featuring former prime ministers of Canada, Israel and Spain.

For more information, contact Tracey at tsteyn@fswc.ca or 416-864-9735 ext. 21.

Register for Spirit of Hope 2018

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FSWC Wants to Hear from You

Passionate about an issue in the news or your community? Does it align with FSWC's mandate? Then we want to hear from you! FSWC is inviting you to submit reflections on issues that matter to you and the community. While we won't be publishing anything just yet, we will be taking all submissions into consideration for future projects. 

Submit reflections to aborisovsky@fswc.ca.