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Euractiv
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Arrests over anti-Semitic posters in Brussels
Welcome to the Capitals by Eddy Wax, with Nicoletta Ionta. We welcome feedback and tips here. Sign up here. In today's edition: Arrests over anti-Semitic posters Denmark's hard line on migration First EU-Moldova summit Your pricey Sicilian holiday Berlaymont job moves Today's edition is powered by The International Fragrance Association Experience Global Fragrance Summit 2025 Singapore – 15-16 October 2025 Discover a world of scent with regulatory and scientific experts at the crossroads of Asia. Find out more here about global fragrance. À la carte Anti-Semitic posters Three suspects have been detained and then released by Belgian police over a poster campaign in the streets around the EU institutions in Brussels, targeting Jews and people working for Jewish organisations. The posters display the faces, names, and work addresses of nine people working for pro-Israel organisations, and include the accusation that they 'lobby for genocide' and 'manipulate MEPs into voting in favour of the Zionist genocidal agenda". 'It's not only a lie, it's really anti-Semitic to hold them accountable for what is happening in the Middle East,' said Katharina von Schnurbein, EU coordinator on combatting anti-Semitism. Dozens of posters appeared on 13 June and more last week, peppered across major streets of the EU quarter around the Council and Berlaymont. 'The three suspects have been released. The investigation is still ongoing,' a spokesperson for the Brussels Prosecutor's Office told Euractiv. The group's website has been blocked by police – but only partially so, and Euractiv was still able to access it. The website encourages people to download and spread the posters themselves. It is not known who is behind the campaign, which calls itself 'Lobby Against'. Those targeted are three people working for ELNET (a leadership network fostering Israel-EU relations), three working for the AJC Transatlantic Institute (the Brussels-based EU Office of the American Jewish Committee), and three working for the European Jewish Association (EJA). In Washington two people were recently killed outside an AJC event by a man who shouted 'Free Palestine!" 'We've got to the stage now where Jews and those who advocate for Israel and Jewish rights are demonized and these people put targets on our backs,' said Alex Benjamin, vice-president of the EJA, who was one of those targeted. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, who also featured in the posters, said: 'I feel unsafe, and I feel I walk around knowing that at any moment something might happen.' The Jewish organisations were advised to increase security at their workplaces in the wake of the campaign. Asked to respond to the charge that he was lobbying for genocide regarding the war in Gaza, Margolin said: 'I think that the Belgian authorities allowed a strong lie and accusation to be spread by giving authorisation to many huge demonstrations that became a festival of hatred towards something which is a pure lie ... This is not genocide." The International Court of Justice is considering the charge of genocide against Israel over its response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. Unlike most EU countries, Belgium has neither adopted nor started work on a strategy for combatting anti-Semitism. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner recently met the organisations targeted 'to express solidarity following the deeply concerning and anti-Semitic campaign led against them and their staff'. EPP's deal with far right on migration The EPP has handed the national conservative ECR group control of a crucial migration file, breaking Parliament rules on dossier distribution. The move, backed by two far right groups, sidelined pro-EU factions. The move concerns the 'safe third country' and 'safe country of origin' files, newly presented by the Commission as part of its migration overhaul. Under standard procedure, the group with the highest share of dossier points would be assigned to steer it through negotiations. In this case, that would have been the Greens, Left, or far-right ESN, one parliamentary source told Nicoletta Ionta. The EPP chair of the Parliament's civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee, Javier Zarzalejos, allowed EPP, ECR, Patriots, and ESN to break tradition to push through the deal, the source added. 'This is a new low,' said Dutch Green MEP Tineke Strik. Renew's Fabienne Keller echoed the criticism, warning the deal 'jeopardises effective solutions.' Danes talk tough in the City of Smiles Danish PM Mette Frederiksen welcomed von der Leyen, Costa and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Aarhus Thursday, known as the City of Smiles. Migrants wouldn't have smiled, listening to Frederiksen's speech. 'People coming from outside who commit serious crimes and do not respect our values and way of life, I don't think they have a place in Europe – and they should be expelled,' she said, calling for a new solution to 'lower the influx of migrants to Europe'. Denmark's presidency program signals clear intent to back an EU plan to allow countries to establish 'return hubs', in other words deportation centres, outside the bloc. Italy's detention centre in Albania is already testing the legal limits of EU law – and with questionable success. But Danish Migration Minister Kaare Dybvad appears undeterred. 'It's not just about how many are processed – it's about the effect on migration flows,' he told Euractiv's Magnus Lund Nielsen when heading into the opening ceremony at Aarhus City Hall. 'It's a priority for us to make it harder to reach Europe. That starts with implementing better returns so people who aren't allowed to stay are sent home,' he said. Later, Magnus caught up with Danish MEP Stine Bosse, of the Moderates – part of the governing coalition – on her train back to Copenhagen. She expressed support for Frederiksen's message. 'The realisation is setting in across my own group,' Bosse, a member of Renew Europe said. 'Some colleagues of course find some of these areas hard to deal with – but I am hopeful that we will find solutions that all can either like or live with.'
The Advertiser
17-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Land clearing for defence housing remains on hold
Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation.
