By Kenneth Bandler
NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee stands in solidarity with the Danish people as they commemorate on Sunday, Feb. 14, the terrorist attacks that left two dead and five injured one year ago.
An Islamist terrorist attacked a free speech event at a Copenhagen café, killing Danish filmmaker Finn Norgaard, and several hours later murdered Dan Uzan, a Jewish volunteer who was guarding the Krystalgade Synagogue during a Bat Mitzvah celebration.
AJC posthumously honored Uzan with its Moral Courage Award at its Global Forum in Washington, D.C., last June.
“European leaders need to understand that the destinies of Europe and its Jewish communities are interlinked,” said Simone Rodan-Benzaquen. Director of AJC Europe.
“The first fatal attack in Copenhagen was against European values, and the second was against the Jewish community, just as occurred a month earlier in Paris against Charlie Hebdo and the Jewish market.”
AJC has continuously called on governments and civil society to do more to fight anti-Semitism, terrorism and extremism. In May 2015, AJC presented an action plan for European governments to address the intensifying crisis of anti-Semitism.
AJC maintains strong relations with the Danish Jewish community. Rodan-Benzaquen recently met with community representatives in Copenhagen to discuss the security situation after the attacks. She also attended an event organized by the French Ambassador to Denmark Francois Zimeray honoring Norgard and Uzan. Zimeray was at the cafe when the terror attack took place.
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Bandler is director of media relations for the American Jewish Committee