In response to the recent European Union directives regarding settlements, the Israel Allies Foundation announced Sunday that it had hired a new European director to promote cooperation and coordination with the Jewish state.Tensions continued to rise between Israel and European nations after the EU announced a ban on all Israeli institutions in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem.This ban coincided with a push by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to adversely label Israeli products made in the settlements.Meanwhile, according to a study published in June by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, anti- Semitism in Europe has reached alarming new levels, finding that 26 percent of Jews have suffered from anti- Semitic harassment at least once in the past year.Hungarian native András Pátkai will head the European operations of the Israel Allies Foundation in Brussels. For the last 20 years, Pátkai has been actively engaged in fostering communication between European organizations, Christian communities and the State of Israel. He has acted as assistant, adviser and interpreter for ministers, members of parliament, ambassadors, mayors, religious and community leaders, and has spoken at many international events.“It seems the EU unashamedly targets the only country in the region that has similar democratic values to its own, namely political diversity and the rule of law, respect for human rights, as well as shared geopolitical interests,” said Pátkai. “Perhaps more focus on these real issues would bring a clearer vision, something to leave for the next generation, and solve the identity crisis on this continent. Of all people, Europeans know best that Jews have a historical and legal right to be in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.”Pátkai’s new position with the IAF will help streamline cooperation and coordination between the eight already established Israel Allies Caucuses in Europe and the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus in Israel. This will allow it to develop a more comprehensive and focused framework for legislative cooperation.The Israel Allies Foundation is dedicated to the purpose of promoting communication and information sharing between parliamentarians and legislators the world over who share a belief that the State of Israel has the right to exist in peace within secure borders.In 2006, in solidarity with the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, the US House of Representatives formed the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus as the basis for an international caucus network. Since then, additional caucuses have been formed in Uruguay, Brazil, South Africa, Finland, Italy, Japan, The Philippines, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Malawi.
