Julius Meinl, the President of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), participated in the World Jewish Congress solidarity mission to Brussels after deadly attack at the Jewish Museum, where on 24 May 2014 three people were killed and one gravely wounded. Among 38 Jewish leaders from around the world were EAJC Secretary General Mikhail Chlenov (Russia) and EAJC General Council member Anatoly Podolsky (Ukraine).

During the meetings with Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, Interior Minister Joëlle Milquet and Justice Minister Annemie Turtelboom, both sides concluded on the necessity to strengthen cooperation on a European and world-wide level to prevent further anti-Semitic terror attacks.

The Prime Minister also agreed to set up a joint commission of the government, the WJC, and the Jewish community of Belgium tasked with identifying measures to improve security for the Jewish community, to fight growing hatred, including on the Internet, to strengthen Holocaust education in schools, and to facilitate the exchange of information.

The EAJC Statement in connection with the terrorist attack in Brussels read as followes: “The perpetrators of this bloody crime should be severely punished, but the main attention should be paid to the origins of the incident. Ensuring the safety of the Jewish community is not only in strengthening the policing of Jewish sites but also in the suppression of anti-Semitic propaganda. EAJC sincerely hopes that this tragedy would be a wake-up call for the authorities of Belgium and other European countries and that the growing aggressive anti-Semitism will be repelled effectively."

When expressing his position on terrorists, WJC President R. Lauder stressed: "How we stop them, I don't know, but we know very much that security forces today in Europe have to be made much stronger. They are not able yet to handle some of these people…Security forces in Europe must be strengthened. They are unfortunately not yet able to combat the general radicalization effectively."

When asked about the results of the mission, EAJC President J. Meinl stressed: "We, the Jews, cannot stand alone against anti-Semitism, and I am grateful to the Belgian government for the fact that authorities are willing to work with us to fight the common evil that threatens the pan-European freedom and democracy."