Left-wing extremist anti-Israel organizations against the Zionist Congress

By Gerardo Raffa/Redaktion Audiatur

10 of the 22 Zionist congresses took place in Basel. According to art historian Naomi Lubrich, director of the Jewish Museum of the Switzerland in Basel, there are many streets and squares in Israel named after Theodor Herzl or Basel. „The Zionist Congress of 1897 is Switzerland’s greatest contribution to Jewish history,“ Lubrich said in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung of 20 August 2022.

That alone should be a reason to celebrate. For the anniversary, celebrations and events were planned in various locations related to the Congress of 1897.

However, not everyone is in the mood to celebrate. Organizations affiliated with the anti-Semitic Israel boycott movement BDS, mainly left-wing to left-wing extremists, planned a series of demonstrations and podiums in Basel against the commemoration of the first Zionist Congress 125 years ago. Israel is a colonial apartheid state that discriminates against the „Palestinian“ population, it was said in some of the numerous calls on far-left platforms. The small Swiss branch of BDS even dares to make the bold demand: „We once again call on the Basel government to withdraw from any participation in the Zionism celebrations and to end all cooperation with official Israeli institutions and state representatives.“

A large part of the organizations directly support the „boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel“ BDS movement. Many are members of the European Coordination of Committees and Associations For Palestine (ECCP). ECCP coordinates anti-Israel actions across Europe and advocates BDS and the „return of all Palestinian refugees“ and their descendants to pre-1948 Israel, effectively abolishing the Jewish state of Israel.

Some of the organisations that have signed the appeal exist virtually only on paper and have no address, website or contact persons.

Here are randomly selected examples of organizations and/or individuals who have signed the appeal „No public support for the Zionism celebrations in Basel“ on the website „NO TO APARTHEID“:

Association France Palestine Solidarity (AFPS)

AFPS is campaigning for the removal of the terrorist organisations Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) from the European list of terrorist organisations.

Active in BDS campaigns against Israel, although anti-Israel boycotts are banned in France. The AFPS organizational report calls for a boycott of all Israeli products and institutions (sports, science and culture).

AFPS supports the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in a terrorist attack and imprisoned in France since 1984.

The AFPS legitimizes the armed struggle as a means to liberate the „Palestinians“.

Apartheid Free Zone Switzerland (AFZ)

AFZ lists on a website Swiss shops and places where „no apartheid products or services“ are offered, thus calling for a boycott of Israeli products and services.

AFZ encourages the „creation of a network of spaces or zones that declare themselves an apartheid-free zone“. By signing a declaration, they commit to „reject any support for the Israeli apartheid regime“.

CETIM European Centre – Third World, Switzerland

CETIM supports the boycott of Israeli products and services.

The director of CETIM, Melik Özden, describes Israel as an „apartheid regime“ and there is „an obvious parallel between the situation in Palestine and apartheid in South Africa“, as the situation goes back to the same roots and motives.

Collectif Sud Global, Schweiz

The Collect if Sud Global describes itself as a „political collective based in Lausanne that aims to fight against racism, especially Islamophobia, as well as imperialism and colonization.“

It supports rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and writes in a statement: „We send strength and courage to our Palestinian comrades, brothers and sisters and hope that the rockets of the resistance reach their goals.“

Intal Globalize Solidarity, Belgium

Intal calls for „the end of Zionism as the ideology of the State of Israel“, a „right of return for all Palestinian refugees“ and „the end of Israel as a state in which Jews must form the majority and in which non-Jewish population groups are discriminated against“.

In June 2018, Intal was among the signatories of a statement calling for Khalida Jarrar’s release. Jarrar, the former deputy chairwoman of Addameer, is a senior Palestinian Liberation Front (PFLP) official who has been charged with active membership of a terrorist organization (the PFLP) and incitement to violence through a call to abduct Israeli soldiers.

Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD)

In 2015, the Israeli organization „Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions“ was shut down due to a court order after the NGO violated numerous legal regulations. The NGO continues to operate with „offshoots“ in the UK, Finland, the US and Germany, but without an official Israeli representation.

ICAHD’s rhetoric includes accusations against Israel such as „ethnic cleansing,“ „genocide,“ „collective punishment,“ and „apartheid.“

In June 2020, ICAHD published an article related to the Black Lives Matter protests stating: „Much attention has been paid recently to the ‚training‘ that American police receive from Israel. It is extensive and omnipresent. Much of the violent and militarized police culture we see has either been created by – or reinforced by – Israeli tactics and weapons.“

In May 2015, ICAHD represented „Israeli activists who supported the suspension of Israel“ by FIFA. At a meeting with then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter, they delivered a „clear message: suspend Israeli football associations from FIFA until the occupation is over and Palestinian football can develop undisturbed.“

Collective house of Malagnou, Schweiz

Far-left, militant squatters from the Geneva region.

Participates in „Apartheid Free Zone“ and supports boycott of Israel through BDS.

New generations Chile, Schweiz

The „collective“ Nouvelles générations Chili (New Generation Chile) from French-speaking Switzerland, according to its own statements, deals with the „recent history and current events in Chile“.

The „collective“ supports the „struggle of the Palestinian people against the apartheid regime of the State of Israel“ and also participates in demonstrations and boycotts.

Countries that have military ties with Israeli companies are urged to „break these criminal ties.“

The website of Nouvelles generation’s Chili calls for the liberation of the Lebanese communist assassin, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, via link. Abdallah is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of US military attaché Charles R. Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barismantov in Lannemezan prison in France.

Palestina Solidarite from Belgium

The Belgian organization Palestina Solidarite it describes itself as a „movement of volunteers based on international law, respect for human rights and democratic principles for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict“.

The association supports the discriminatory anti-Semitic BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign against Israel and calls for the suspension of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel.

Palestine Solidarite it accuses Israel of „ethnic cleansing“ of „Palestinian Bedouins“ in the Negev.

Palestina Solidarite it raises funds for Palestinian NGOs, including: Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P): DCI-P supports BDS campaigns against Israel, and several of its board members have contacts with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is designated a terrorist organization by the US, EU, Canada and Israel.

solidarities, Schweiz

solidarities is a small left-wing socialist anti-Israel party. Along with the communist „Party of Labour“ (which is also anti-Israeli and supports BDS), it is the most left-wing party in Switzerland and is currently represented in the National Council by the Geneva parliamentarian Stéfanie Prezioso or alternatively Stéfanie Prezioso Batou or Stefania Prezioso Batou in the Green group.

Prezioso Batou repeatedly makes advances against Israel in parliament. For example: „Switzerland–Israel. Action must be taken“ (2021) or „How does the Federal Council react to Israel’s apartheid policy?“ (2022). In it, Ms. Prezioso Batou accuses Israel of apartheid, colonization and terror. The associate professor of international contemporary history claims that Israel used the rocket fire against civilians by Hamas terrorists as a „pretext to respond to the rocket fire“ and „bombed the Gaza Strip with great brutality.“

National Councillor Stefania Prezioso Batou is also active on the streets on the front line against Israel and calls for a boycott of the Jewish state of Israel.

Flemish Socialist Movement (V-SB)

The Vlaams-Socialist  movement (V-SB) is a left-wing nationalist Flemish movement. The movement sees the Flemish and social struggles as a unit and, according to its declaration of principles, strives for a „socialist society in an independent Flanders“.

The V-SB expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian Ahmad Sa’adat, who is imprisoned in Israel, and demands his release. Sa’adat was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2006 for leading an illegal terrorist organization and playing a leading role in the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evis. He remains secretary general of the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

For the Vlaams-Socialist  movement Israel is a „racist and colonial project“ and the Palestinians have been expelled from their homes.

Left Demo

On Sunday, 28 August, a „demonstration against the holding of the anniversary celebration“ was also planned in Basel. This demo was supported, among others, by „Palestine activists“, left-wing autonomous and left-wing extremist sectarian groups. For example, from the left-wing radical Marxist-Leninist „Revolutionary Construction“, whose „activists“ are of the opinion that „the struggle against anti-Semitism means fighting capitalism“ or the Trotskyist „Movement for Socialism“ (BFS/MPS).

„Counter-congress“ with representatives of a terrorist organization

From the same environment of the demo organizers, a so-called „counter-congress“ was organized for August 27 in the Basel Trade Union House.

The following participants were planned as online participants:

Noura Saleh Erakat, an American activist and legal scholar. She is a vocal critic of the State of Israel and a supporter of the anti-Semitic Israel boycott movement BDS.

Ilan Pappe, an Israeli historian, author and professor. Pappe is also a well-known and active BDS supporter. He wrote an editorial in The Guardian in 2005 calling on British academics to boycott Israel. In 2011, Pappe encouraged a student to write a fake thesis claiming that Israel massacred some 250 unarmed „Palestinians“ in the village of Tantura during the War of Independence, which turned out to be completely false.

On-site participants:

Wieland Hoban, a British-German composer, translator and BDS sympathizer. Hoban is chairman of the association „Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East“.

Mohammed Khatib is the European coordinator of „Samidoun“, a network for „solidarity with Palestinian prisoners“. In February 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense classified Samidoun as a terrorist organization and „an offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).“ Mohammed Khatib is a member of the PFLP terrorist organization. In 2017, Khatib was denied an entry visa to the United States. Khatib is actively campaigning for the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who is currently serving a life sentence in France for the murder of US military attaché and Israeli diplomat Yaakov Bar-Simantov.

Jodie Jones, is a militant activist of „Palestine Action“ from Great Britain. „Palestine Action“ attacks companies that do business with Israel with illegal and sometimes criminal actions. About the Zionist Congress, Mrs. Jones writes on Twitter: „From the stolen country to Switzerland: Zio-fascist bastards are not welcome. The responsible people of Switzerland have a duty to condemn the Zionist  Congress in Basel and to take action against it.“

Nobody knows what and nobody is responsible

Several trade unions (UNIA, VPOD) and political parties have offices or locations in the Basel Trade Union House. According to Benjamin Plüss of the Basel Trade Union Federation, the Trade Union Confederation no longer has offices at this address and is no longer a member of the „Gesellschaft Gewerkschaftshaus“ which manages the property. In addition, the Basel Trade Union Confederation has no knowledge of the event, nor does it maintain any relations with the above-mentioned organisations. „We clearly distance ourselves from racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination,“ Plüss replied to a request from Audiatur-Online.

The SP Basel city, which also has its office in the trade union building at Claraplatz, also distances itself, according to the local online portal Prime News. „We have nothing to do with this event and had no knowledge of it,“ SP co-vice president Marcel Colomb told Prime News.

Anja Bekcic, member of the board of directors of the company Gewerkschaftshaus Basel, answered an inquiry to the company Gewerkschaftshaus Basel, on whose board several trade unionists from UNIA, VPOD and syndicom and again a representative of the SP Baselstadt, as she stands on the fact that people from an anti-Israel to terrorist environment get a podium on its premises as follows:

«The letting / rental of the premises can be carried out by each member of the GGH association himself. In this case, therefore, the GGH can not comment on it.“

Bekcic also emphasizes that they distance themselves from any left-wing and right-wing extremism and terrorism as well as anti-Semitism and that it is extremely important to the association that no one who rents the halls should be allowed to offer space for anti-Semitism, sexism, violence or discrimination. The association is not aware of these participants and the State Secretariat for Migration SEM and Fedpol issue entry bans against members of terrorist organisations and extremist or violent persons.

It seems that no one knows anything and no one is responsible. Left-wing extremist organizations and individuals from the terrorist environment can apparently rent rooms in Basel unmolested under the umbrella of left-wing parties and trade unions and spread left-wing extremist anti-Israel propaganda.

(Source: Jüdische Rundschau, September 2022)