RT-Engels: 21-05-2025,
Moshe Kantor has been re-elected to lead the pan-European body after being removed from EU sanctions list
Russian entrepreneur and philanthropist Moshe (Vyacheslav) Kantor has been overwhelmingly re-elected as president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), securing nearly two-thirds of the vote in a general assembly held Wednesday in Jerusalem.
Kantor, who previously served as EJC president from 2007 until 2022, was forced to step down during his fourth term after being placed on multiple international sanctions lists in the wake of the Ukraine conflict. With the European Union and Switzerland removing Kantor from their respective sanctions earlier this year, he returned to the race and defeated interim president Ariel Muzicant of Austria.
Kantor, who also holds British and Israeli citizenship, emphasized the urgency of his return in light of growing antisemitism and increasing polarization in Europe.
We are proud to introduce the newly elected Executive of the European Jewish Congress, elected today in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/YXrewPtjfF
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) May 21, 2025
“What we are witnessing is not only a threat to Jewish communities, it is a threat to the very foundations of European democracies,” Kantor told delegates. “If left unchecked, this growing hatred will erode the social fabric of our societies. We are already seeing increased polarization as the extremes gain strength and moderation is pushed aside.”
The EJC represents over 40 Jewish national organizations and more than two million Jews across Europe.