AS EU PLEDGES TO MAKE JEWS ‘FEEL AT HOME’, CYPRUS POLICE CHARGE LOCAL COMMUNITY 5000 EURO FOR CHANUKAH CELEBRATIONS

European Jewish Association tells Cypriot Minister the bill marks “new low” and urges write off.

The Chairman of the European Jewish Association has written to the Cypriot Minister of Defence, Mr Savvas Angelides expressing his surprise and deep disappointment that the Cypriot Jewish Community received an itemised bill of over 5000 Euro for protecting and securing their Chanukah celebrations on December 5th.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, who heads the Brussels based Association that represents hundreds of communities across the continent called on the Minister to write off the Bill immediately, calling it a “new low”.

The news from Cyprus – an EU Member – will come as a deep embarrassment to other EU states and the European Union Institutions that only this week pledged top redouble their efforts in fighting anti-Semitism and to make Jews ‘feel at home’ in Europe.

In his letter to Minister Angelides, Rabbi Margolin said,

“You can imagine the insult and bad taste in the mouth felt by the Jewish community when the bill from the police was presented.

“As the Chairman of the European Jewish Association I am well used to dealing and responding to challenging situations. But this decision to charge the Jewish population for their own security marks a new low, and one that I sincerely hope was a clerical mistake or administrative oversight on behalf of the police.

“I ask you respectfully to immediately write off the bill, and re-assure the Jewish community in Cyprus, that they will be afforded the same security and protection afforded to their brothers and sisters elsewhere in Europe, and provided for by Member states governments, without charges, fees or invoices following Jewish events and holidays. Indeed, there were many Chanukah events all over Europe in which the local police offered protected - as they do at any public event - and this is the first time we hear that the police asking to be paid for doing their job.”

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