SWC Calls on Landesbank Baden-Württemberg to Close Hamas Affiliated Bank Accounts

January 16, 2024

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is calling on the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) to take immediate action against terror-financing by closing the bank accounts affiliated with the Palästinakomitee Stuttgart (PCS), a group linked to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Despite the recent removal of pro-Hamas propaganda from Stuttgart’s municipal website, the LBBW continues to provide banking services to PCS. 
 
“This association not only contradicts German law but also undermines international efforts against terrorism financing. Especially since the unprovoked Hamas genocide against Israel, in which over 1,200 Israelis were brutally butchered, including infants and Holocaust survivors, as well as women mass raped, the LBBW should be willing to cooperate on this request,” stated Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Global Social Action Director.
 
“We strongly urge LBBW to align its operations with ethical standards and german anti-terrorism policies by terminating its relationship with any organization that potentially supports or facilitates terrorist activities. Swift action in this matter is essential to uphold the integrity of German financial institutions and to contribute to the global fight against terrorism,” added Daniel Schuster, Senior Representative Europe of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

For further information contact the Center’s Communications department at pressinquiries@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).