February 25, 2010
Venue: The Japan Institute of International Affairs
Dr. M aram Stern, Deputy Secretary General and Vice President of the World Jewish
Congress (WJC)

Topic: “The Jewish Community at Present”

Born of a Jewish mother and father, I am a “classical Jew.”
Germany to parents who had survived the Holocaust.

I was born in post-war

My mother is a Jew whoexperienced Auschwitz, and the Holocaust might be regarded as the greatest challenge weJews have had to endure.

The deep impact and scars remain to this day, and theexperience is one deeply ingrained in the hearts of Jews.

Had the Holocaust not occurred,

the Jewish community would likely appear quite different than it does today.
The World Jewish Congress at which I serve as Vice President is an institution comprising
Jewish communities and organizations in 80 countries in the world.

Headed by a

27-member executive board and committee, the WJC gathers around twice each year todebate topics of common interest. Of the various issues concerning Jews that the WJC
discusses, that of the greatest interest is Israel.

I am a German citizen living in Belgium

who votes in German elections and closely follows news about Germany in the papers, butIsrael is extremely important to me.

This could be said of other Jews as well.

We may notalways be in agreement on political issues, but there is no room for dispute on Israel’s needfor security and peace.

We consider an Israel at peace to be essential.

In other words,Jews around the world see Israel as our heart, without which we cannot sustain our lives.
Even if we do not live in Israel, even if we do not completely agree with Israel’s politics, there
is no doubting the importance of Israel for us.
Antisemitism is a concern that persistently confronts us.
one likely to disappear in future.

Antisemitism is a reality, and not

We regularly consider how best to counter antisemitism,and in this connection Iran has become our greatest source of anxiety in recent years.

Isimply cannot accept President Ahmadinejad’s rejection of Israel’s right to exist and his
denial of the Holocaust.

The statements of President Ahmadinejad are themselvesproblematic for Jews, and Iran’s attempts to exercise its influence on countries such asVenezuela are also troubling.
him to stop them.

His repeated remarks horrify us, and my mission is to get

To that end, I need the cooperation of countries having leverage withIran.

I ask that Japan use all of its influence on President Ahmadinejad to persuade him tocease making such remarks.
The world in which we live today is in the process of significant change. The emergence ofPresident Obama in the US is one example of this.

The steady march ahead of a newEurope, the EU, is another aspect of this new world; the EU’s success was but a fantasy
only two decades or so ago.

China, too, has become a new China.

Its presence at theCopenhagen climate change conference the other day would have been unimaginablepreviously, and the country continues to undergo dramatic transformation.
a changing world is the growth of Europe’s Muslim community.

Another sign ofRecent years have seen

emerge from this community individuals who are hostile or aggressive towards Jews.

For

example, there was an attack on a Jew in Brussels by a Muslim following Friday prayer.
That it remains so difficult to foster trust between the two communities is exceedinglyregrettable, and we need to seek out some type of resolution.