Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust StudiesOutraged by BC School’s Admission of Anti-Israel Bias; Pleased DiscriminatoryPolicy Rescinded

January 31, 2017 – Toronto: Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for HolocaustStudies (FSWC) was outraged to learn ofthe discriminatory policy which banned Israeli students from attending theIsland School of Business Arts (ISBA) in British Columbia over disagreementwith Israeli politics.

“In a phone call with FSWC, ISBA was quick to assure us the school hadrescinded the policy; the author of an email telling an Israeli student he wasnot welcome at the school admitted, “This was a misinterpretation of a UN declaration anda mistake on ISBA's part”," explained FSWC President & CEO Avi Benlolo.“While FSWC is pleased this discriminatory policy has been lifted, we areoutraged by the selective singling out of the Jewish state, and wonder ifstudents from Syria, Iran, or China were similarly targeted,” he added.

FSWC believes this incident is cause for serious concernabout the harm done by UN Resolution 2334 in encouraging a rising tide ofantisemitism. We will continue to monitor this institution. 

MediaContact: 
StaceyL. Starkman
Director of Communications & External Relations
416.864.9735 x 32 / sstarkman@fswc.ca
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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is a leadingCanadian non-profit human rights foundation directly representing over30,000 members. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and topromoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadiandemocratic values through advocacy and educational programs includingworkshops, Freedom Day, the Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and thewidely acclaimed new Tourfor Humanity.FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewishhuman rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles, which has won twoAcademy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third beingbuilt in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE,the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca

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