SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE-EUROPE
Tel: +33(0)1 47 23 76 37
Fax: +33(0)1 47 20 84 01
Mail: csweurope@gmail.com
Paris
In a letter to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) President, Michel Platini, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, protested,“Spain's Mundo Deportivo (Sports World) newspaper columnist, Xavier Bosch reported claim that a 'Jewish lobby' with 'unlimited money and inordinate influence ... control theworld and its international institutions'.”
Samuels noted that this lobby is apparently accused of "pressuring FC Barcelona to end its $200 million shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation,” and that, “Mossad agents had infiltratedthe Club for years.” This calumny is thought to refer to allegations that previous Barcelona Club President, Joan Laporta, had employed private investigators to spy on players – a charge perhapsaimed to impact on
Laporta's current campaign for reelection on 18 July.”
The letter emphasized that, “even more damning is the quoted response of Mundo Deportivo's Barcelona editor, Fernando Pola: '[Bosch] is simply concerned about the external pressure [FC Barcelona]and its Board are receiving against the Qatar sponsorship... Bosch just wants the best for the Club, without opposition from outside. There is no antisemitism in his article. He is against anykind of lobby: French, German, Jewish'.”
Samuels argued, “one wonders which is more dangerous? The columnist's
expressions deemed 'antisemitic' under the European Union's definition or the antisemitism of indifference of the editor?”
The Centre urged UEFA “to investigate these reports and, according to your findings, demand of Mundo Deportivo the dismissal of Xavier Bosch and an apology for having offended both the Jewishpeople and the beautiful game.”
For further information please contact Shimon Samuels 00 336 09 77 01 58, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agenciesincluding the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).