Over 40 relatives of Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas in October 2023 have protested against plans for Israeli diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli to speak at an event organised by two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
In a letter addressed to MEPs Lukas Mandl and Andrey Kovatchev — who sit with the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) — 41 of the hostages' relatives as well as 32 Jewish community leaders describe Chikli as an "inappropriate representative" to speak at the holocaust remembrance event set to take place next week.
The signatories cite his opposition to the hostage-ceasefire deal, "support" for far-right European politicians and public statements calling for the expulsion of people from Gaza and southern Lebanon, which they say amount to support for "ethnic cleansing".
"Minister Chikli’s extremist and divisive positions do not reflect the values or voices of the broader Israeli public or global Jewish communities," the letter reads.
"On the contrary, his participation in this event risks overshadowing the vital message of the conference and undermining the credibility of the European Parliament’s efforts to combat antisemitism and hatred," it adds.
Both European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and the chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP), to which the lawmakers belong, have been copied into the relatives’ letter.
In a statement shared with Euronews, MEP Lukas Mandl said: "Israel is a democratic state based on rule of law, human dignity and freedom. Israel is the only Jewish state. Like-minded colleagues and me consider Israel as a strong partner state."
Mandl added that he and other like-minded MEPs support the "strengthening the EU-Israel association agreement," a long-standing deal that defines the relations, including trade ties, between both sides.
Ireland and Spain have spearheaded efforts to review parts of that agreement, citing concerns over Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
"I do not involve myself in domestic politics in Israel. I have welcomed each and every representative of Israel, no matter whether it would be the legislative or the executive branch, government or opposition, civil society or other sectors; and I will continue to do so," Mandl added in his statement.
The event, scheduled to be held on Tuesday 28 January, is titled “Indoctrinating hatred of Jews: what has changed in 80 years?” and is understood to have been organised with the support of MEPs Mandl and Kovatchev.
Minister Chikli is due to appear as the keynote speaker.
Chikli, who hails from the Likud party of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was reportedly among eight cabinet members to vote against a deal that secured the current ceasefire in Gaza and the phased return of the Israeli hostage kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Three Israeli women were freed from captivity last Saturday, with Hamas claiming four more will be freed over the weekend.
The open letter says that Chikli’s close alliances to Europe’s far-right politicians “call into question his credibility” as the minister in charge of diaspora affairs. In recent comments, Chikli has expressed support for European far-right leaders including France's Marine Le Pen and Romania's Calin Georgescu.
“His presence at the conference risks legitimising figures and ideologies that conflict with the core objectives of the European Parliament,” the letter goes on.
Minister Chikli prompted controversy in September when he called for a "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon to "repel the enemy Shi’ite population," arguing Lebanon did not fulfil the definition of a state.
"We call on you, as organisers of this important event, to reconsider Minister Chikli’s participation," the signatories say. "His presence does not serve the memory of the Holocaust or the shared principles of justice and tolerance that guide both your efforts and ours."
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