European Union of Jewish Students President Driven From Youth Forum Meeting

A meeting of the European Youth Forum (EYF) took place in Brussels on February 14. Its purpose was to discuss upcoming European elections, not the Middle East. But the meeting was interrupted by a mob, screaming the usual anti-Israel slogans — “Free Palestine” and “No to genocide.” And when Emma Hallali, the president of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), took the floor in the closing, plenary session, she was screamed at by an enraged group of antisemitic and anti-Israel “activists” calling her a “Zionist fascist,” and forced to flee the hall. More on this disturbing spectacle can be found here: “‘Zionist fascist:’ Jewish delegate run out of European student event,” by Michael Starr, Jerusalem Post, April 17, 2024:

The European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) president was verbally abused and run out of the closing plenary of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) Level Up! event in Brussels on Saturday [after proceedings were interrupted by anti-Israel activists, according to EUJS and YFJ statements.

During the closing section of the event held in the hemicycle of the European Parliament, according to a Saturday EUJS statement some participants began to shout “free Palestine”, “ceasefire now” and accuse Israel of committing genocide. After requesting the floor, an anti-Israel activist taught the forum how to say “Free Palestine” in sign language.

What thoughtfulness from that anti-Israel “activist” who taught everyone present to say “Free Palestine” in sign language. Now even the deaf can join in calling for the destruction of Israel and its replacement by a twenty-third Arab state.They no longer feel left out.

YFJ said in a Sunday statement that the diversion from the program was “beyond our control,” but EUJS asserted that moderators and YFJ board and staff members joined much of the forum in clapping for the activists.

I believe EUJS when it charges that YFJ board and staff members, far from being horrified by the anti-Israel and antisemitic irruption, joined many others in applauding those cries and chants of “Free Palestine” and “End Genocide.” The YFJ did nothing to stop the “activists,” not because it couldn’t — it might have immediately sent the security guards to remove them from the hall — but because most of its members were in agreement with its message.

EUJS President and head of the delegation Emma Hallali condemned what the organization said was “the importation of the Middle East conflict in a youth event about the European Elections.” In response, Hallali was allegedly booed and insulted. Hallali left the room under verbal assault, reportedly told that she was engaging in hate speech and was a “fascist Zionist.”…

Yes, this is just one more venue – there are so many — where anti-Israel and antisemitic mobs drown out all others, and Jews who dare to denounce them are yelled at, humiliated, and as happened to Emma Hallali at the YPF, hounded out.

YFJ assured that it stood “against any form of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, xenophobia, racism and any kind of hate speech. We protect free speech and young people expressing their voice; we will not, however, tolerate any aggression against our participants.”

“As soon as the moderators noticed that a participant was being verbally abused, they intervened to stop this behavior,” YFJ claimed….

“We condemn all forms of abuse and attempts to silence any participant, and we apologize for this experience and for the unsafe atmosphere which surrounded these moments,” said YFJ. “We are committed to provide safer spaces for all our participants. Together with our team and partners we will evaluate and learn from this incident. We offer our support to EUJS and any other persons and organizations who were affected.”…

The YFJ’s exculpatory statement is deceptive. It claims that “we protect free speech and young people expressing their voice; we will not, however, tolerate any aggression against our participants.” But the yelling about “Free Palestine” and “No To Genocide” in YFJ’s view did not constitute “aggression against our participants” — that is, the students taking part in the Youth Forum, but rather, those chants were directed at the state of Israel. And it is important to note that the EUJS has charged that the moderators, members of the YJP Board, and staffers, had clapped in solidarity with the anti-Israel activists. So it was proper not to silence the “activists” at that point, when their anger was directed only at Israel. But at the end of the final, plenary session, when abuse was hurled at a particular participant in the YFJ event, Emma Hallali, the president of the EUJS, then the YFJ should certainly have taken immediate action, calling on security guards to remove her abusers. They did not do so in time, and Emma Hallali found herself forced to flee the hall. That is the precarious state of European Jewry today.