JEWISH
CALL for
PEACE Lëtzebuerg
CALL for
PEACE Lëtzebuerg
We wish to express our concern following certain remarks made by Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel at the NEXUS tech summit in Luxembourg on 10 June 2026. While speaking on the theme “Humanity at the Helm: Building an AI Future that Works for All”, he was challenged about cooperation with Israel. In his response, he conflated Israelis with Jews and compared opposition to the presence of Israeli companies at the event with the boycott of Jewish businesses under the Nazi regime.*
Such a comparison is historically false and politically dangerous. It is based on a conflation of the State of Israel, the Israeli government, Israeli citizens and Jews. No state represents all Jews, and criticism of a government must never be equated with hostility towards a population or a religion.
At a time when Israeli military operations in Gaza continue to provoke outrage around the world, this conflation is particularly problematic. By associating Jews with the political and military decisions of the State of Israel, it reinforces precisely the kind of false associations that fuel antisemitism.
If Mr Bettel considers it legitimate to welcome Israeli companies, including companies that may be directly or indirectly involved in the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli army, and if he wishes to encourage Luxembourg companies to develop commercial relations with Israel, he must take responsibility for that position.
What is not acceptable, however, is the instrumentalisation of Jews or the memory of antisemitic persecution in order to discredit any criticism of these choices. The debate on relations with Israel must be conducted honestly and transparently, without conflation or misuse of the fight against antisemitism.
Fighting antisemitism requires precisely that we reject the conflation of Jews, Israelis and the State of Israel. This is a matter of intellectual rigour, responsibility and respect for history.
We call on our political leaders to exercise the utmost vigilance if they intend to take this fight seriously.
* Claiming that the invited Israeli companies were not involved in the defence sector—which is false, as stated in Land of 12 June 2026, page 14—the minister added: "And if you want to punish all Israelis because of their Governement, you do not understand. It's like blaming all the Jews. Not all the Jews are to blame because of the actions of a governement." Then he continues : "Don't do the error to say we are not allowed to work with the Israelis. I'd like to remember : don't buy in Jewish shops during the 2nd World War".
On 2 July 2025, the Luxembourg Parliament will have a debate (live streaming) with citizens on sanctions against Israel, following Public Petition 3231, which surpassed the required 4,500 signatures. Luxembourg is the only EU country where such a civic initiative has triggered a formal parliamentary discussion.
The debate at the Parliament will feature:
Ahead of the parliamentary debate, the petitioner held a press conference on 26 June, backed by Jewish Call for Peace, the acclaimed Luxembourg-German actress Vicky Krieps and in presence of Amnesty International Luxembourg.
Dalia Khader, petitioner of initiative 3231, is a Palestinian from Jerusalem who has obtained Luxembourgish nationality after residing in Luxembourg for several years. She has been an active voice within Luxembourg’s civil society, advocating for justice and awareness of the situation in Palestine. Her involvement includes organizing protests, fundraising initiatives, and educational events aimed at informing the public and decision-makers.
In her own words, Dalia explains her motivation: "I cannot stay silent. I cannot simply watch as a genocide unfolds against my people. I am in Luxembourg by pure luck; I could have easily been among my friends in Gaza today. Everything I do is my form of resistance: to preserve my heritage, my culture, and above all, to stand with my people. History must be written with truth, and the future with justice. Today, we fight for both."
Khader’s actions reflect a broader movement within Luxembourg calling for governmental actions towards the atrocities Israeli Government is committing and holding it accountable under international law. She expresses deep trust in the people of Luxembourg, believing they will stand on the right side of history. With that same conviction, she hopes the Luxembourgish Government will align its actions with the will of its people and the principles of justice it upholds internationally.
Martine Kleinberg spoke on behalf of Jewish Call for Peace (JCP). JCP is a progressive and secular association, based in Luxembourg, whose action is rooted in humanist and universal values drawn from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law. From the Jewish heritage, JCP upholds above all the universal values of dignity, responsibility, and commitment against injustice.
The association has set itself three missions:
“Given the nature and missions of JCP, it was only natural for me to accept Dalia’s invitation to join her team of petitioners. I am also inspired by the call addressed to the Luxembourg Government by more than 315 public figures — ‘Gaza is dying: we urge you to act!’ and the open letter signed by more than 50 NGOs and associations", said M. Kleinberg. She added: "Today, more and more Israelis are also calling for strong international pressure (Ehud Olmert, Eli Barnavi among the most well-known). And to be effective, this pressure must be very concrete."
Amnesty International is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which has led it to conclude that Israel has committed and continues to commit genocide in Gaza, as defined by the Genocide Convention.
Amnesty International's position does not necessarily go as far as that of the petitioners. However, Article 2 of the Association Agreement governing relations between the EU and Israel stipulates that these economic, diplomatic, intellectual and other relations can only be established if the States respect human rights. Amnesty International has extensively documented violations of these rights, which is why we are calling on the Luxembourg Government to take a firm stance in favour of suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Luxembourg has so far called for more action against the situation in Gaza but has not supported the suspension of this Agreement. We state that it is essential for the Government to take a stronger stance to help end Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, as other countries such as Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have done.
Furthermore, to ensure lasting peace in the region, it is important to recognize that October 7, 2023, is not the beginning of this conflict, and that Israel has for decades pursued a policy of illegal occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and imposed an apartheid system on all Palestinians whose rights it controls. Only by addressing these underlying issues will lasting peace be achieved, and Luxembourg also has a role to play in this context.
Vicky Krieps (online) expressed herself as a citizen, reminding: “We are proud that our Grand Duchess [in WWII] went to England and sent messages on the radio. These things we are proud of, they happened because the Luxembourgers at that time chose to stand on a certain side, the side of human rights.”
She explained her commitment: “I would like to help and support this cause because there are people in Luxembourg raising their voices, they go to the streets, they do petitions, all these people are fighting, they need to be heard and the Government needs to react to this. Because these are people asking a government to be human.”
Inspired by her grandfather Robert Krieps, Vicky spoke about courage: “It would be so important for a country, even the smallest, to have the courage and raise the voice. It would be a chance for Luxembourg to be seen for something very important, to remind everyone else of humanity.” “My grandfather, he was just a student [in WWII], he didn’t think what Hitler was doing was right, he did a little bit of Resistance, and he almost gave his life for it. But when he was asked at the trial: ‘The books you had in your room, Mr. Krieps, they were not yours, right, they were from your father?’, he stood up and said: ‘No, they were my books, what you do is wrong.’ And off he went into hell [concentration camp]. Sometimes in life you just have to have the courage and say what is right.”
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