Nederlandse Joodse organisaties veroordelen benoeming nieuwe voorzitter Yad Vashem

In navolging van vele Joodse organisaties wereldwijd, hebben CIDI, de Stichting Vrienden van Yad Vashem, het Nederlands Verbond voor Progressief Jodendom, de Federatie van Nederlandse Zionisten en jeugdbeweging Haboniem de volgende open brief ondertekend aan alle Knessetleden, Israelisch premier Benjamin Netanyahu, Israelisch alternatief premier Benny Gantz en Israelische ministers Ze’ev Elkin (Immigratie en Absorptie) en Yoav Gallant (Onderwijs),  naar aanleiding van het naar voren brengen van Effi Eitam als nieuwe voorzitter van Yad Vashem.

Effi Eitam’s acties als militair op de Westelijke Jordaanoever en zijn uitspraken over (Israelische) Arabieren passen volgens velen niet bij een voorzitter van een wereldwijd herinneringscentrum voor de slachtoffers van mensenrechtenschendingen, en ten nagedachtenis aan alle niet-Joden die hun leven riskeerden om Joden te redden, en dat zich inzet tegen alle vormen van discriminatie, volgens velen.

—

Honorable [XX]

 We, leading Dutch-Jewish organisations, express hereby our strong disagreement about the intended appointment of Mr. Effi Eitam as chair of Yad VaShem.

Many in the Jewish communities are first, second, third and even fourth generation of survivors of the Holocaust. 5500 brave Dutch people have been decorated by Yad Va Shem as Rightous of the Nations.

A person with views and declarations consistent with those of Mr. Eitam, who has expressed support for expulsion of West Bank Palestinians and who has labelled Israeli Arabs a fifth column, is unsuitable to serve as the head of Yad VaShem. Yad VaShem represents and commemorates those who suffered under violations of human and civil rights, discrimination decorated by Yad Vashem for their courage during World War II, for having rescued Jewish fellow citizens and for their fight against discrimination and social isolations, reminding us all of the need to make sure such atrocities will never again be possible.

Yad Vashem is a well-known and well-respected organisation in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Such an organization deserves a chairperson of irreproachable behavior. However, it will lose its credibility and moral ground if Mr. Eitam becomes its leader. Not only Yad VaShem but also the state of Israel will suffer from this choice, as will the people who work for and with this wonderful organisation, in Israel and abroad.

 Israel is blessed with a great number of people who have both the position and credibility to take this important position. We earnestly implore the government of Israel to select a suitable candidate for this important position.

 In the name of the following organisations:

• CIDI, the Center for Information and Documentation Israel,
• Foundation Dutch Friends of Yad Vashem,
• The Dutch Union for Progressive Judaism,
• Federation of Dutch Zionists
• The Jewish Youth organization Habomin in the Netherlands