Israeli law-makers verbally assaulted in Brussels

Mks Castigated in Brussels Restaurant

Some MKs participating in the Conference of the European Parliament in Brussels were verbally abused by a group of anti-Israel activists. MKs Anastasia Michaeli [photo], Yaakov Edri, Daniel Ben Simon, and Nachman Shai reported the assault at the entrance to a restaurant, but stressed that it was non-physical. (Maariv)

Belgian Jews in shock over beating of 13-year-old girl

Some details have emerged since the incident was revealed.  Her father is Jewish and her mother is not.  But to all intents and purposes she is considered by her aggressors as being a "dirty Jew".  Oceane told a Flemish TV channel that for youngsters the word Jew has become an insult.  While she was being beatean only her friend tried to help, other teenagers who were at the scene just looked on.  She has been called several times "Dirty Jew", but it's the first time she was beaten.  Julien Klener warned that violence against Jews has become common in Brussels and that victims don't bother to report. Brussels Jewish parliamentarian, and author of the only book about contemporary antisemitism in Belgium, Viviane Teitelbaum indicated that she had received lots of emails from parents telling that their children are harrassed. Some have had to change school. Ms. Teitelbaum stated that time has come to ring alarm bells and make sure that antisemites cannot behave in the knowledge that their behaviour will go unpunished.  

Things are indeed unsettling to say the least.  A Belgian highschool teacher Pierre Piccinin complained on Facebook that he was being persecuted by the Jewish mafia and that soon fear will switch sides - meaning that soon it will be the Jews who will be afraid.  He has made several anti-Jewish remarks.  There were no reactions at all and he has now created an organisation to protect freedom of speech which he assumes the Jewish mafia is trying to take away from him and other like-minded people.

Arutz Sheva 7: Five Muslim Moroccan girls in Belgium beat a 13-year-old classmate, called her a "dirty Jew” and told her to "return your country.”

The girl, Oceane Sluijzer, has filed a complaint with police after the anti-Semitic attack at a sports training center. The attackers were identified and questioned by police.

Jewish legislator Viviane Teitelbaum of Brussels denounced the "silence" of political leaders and most of media after this attack.

Brussels: a 13-year-old girl beaten because she is Jewish

After training at a sports center in a residential area in Brussels (Neder-Over-Hembeek), a Jewish girl aged 13 was getting ready to leave with a friend when a dispute broke out with five girls (from Morocco). The Jewish teen complained she was fed up with the girls making disparaging remarks about her and her family.

They told her to shut up and called her "a dirty Jew". One of the girls splapped her twice in the face. The little girl wanted to leave in order to avoid an escalation, but the same girl repeated "shut up you dirty Jew and go back to your country".  The five girls then grabbed her by the hair and punched her head on her knees. Blows fell from on all sides and was unable to defend herself against the five other girls.

The incident was reported to the police in Brussels. Her tormentors have been identified and the police will investigate the case.

Source: antisemitisme.be

For South African priest Christian Zionism is the new heresy like apartheid

And there is a famous Belgian behind this...  He is Pierre Galand, of the Free University of Brussels.  The University of Brussels is on record as being the first university in Europe where a distinguished member resigned because of the piling up of antisemitic incidents and inflammatory anti-Jewish/Israel rhetoric by some academics (Prominent Belgian Jewish figure resigned from Brussels University Board to denounce anti-Semitic incidents).

Pierre Galand, international co-ordinator of the Tribunal, is organising a session of the kangaroo court "Russell Tribunal on Palestine" in South Africa. South Africa was chosen because he accuses Israel of being an apartheid State.  The "session" will take place in November in Cape Town and he has enlisted the support of  two well-known Israel-bashers Desmond Tutu and John Dugar, as well as ... Winnie Mandela.

At the press conference, a priest Rev. Edwin Arrison, on behalf of Kairos (a viciously anti-Israel Christian group) said: 

"From the side of the churches it is important that we show our support for this tribunal. It is important because just as we declared apartheid a heresy, the new heresy we are facing today is Christian Zionism and because  of Christian Zionism there is so much support coming particularly from Christians in the USA.  There are many of us who say that  "no, we cannot allow the Bible, Christianity and so on to be misused in this way"."

"Apartheid in Israel" was on all the press conference participants' lips.

NGO Monitor has a special report on Pierre Galand: "PIERRE GALAND (BELGIUM) USING POLITICAL NGOS TO PROMOTE DEMONIZATION AND; ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UN AND THE EU" and an UPDATE (2004) 

Another European Union and United Nations 'serial assault' against Israel

The Centre lamented that the message "included no mention of terrorism and, in fact, endorsed a designated terrorist organisation on the UN's own watchlist", also stressing that "the meeting showed its true colors by studiously ignoring our proposal for a balanced resolution, calling 'for peace between the Arab State of Palestine alongside the Jewish State of Israel.'"

All signs point to this Israel-bashing exercise having been organised by a group of influencial and determined Belgian French-speaking Israel-bashers: Pierre Galand (Socialist, Université Libre de Bruxelles, founder of the Russell Tribunal for Palestine), Véronique De Keyser (Euro MP, Socialist).  Other guests include (well known for their anti-Israel rhetoric) Neve Gordon, Avraham Burg, Clare Short.

"Brussels Meeting on the Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood is a 'serial assault'"

Source: CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - EUROPE

"General Assembly September vote on Palestinian status should be conditioned on prior dismantling of pernicious UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People"

In a letter to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, described his experience as the only Jewish NGO attending the Brussels meeting on "The Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood and Achieving Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians."

Samuels noted that "this title was nothing but a political euphemism to campaign for the 27 States of the European Union - and the European Institutions themselves - to endorse the September UN General Assembly vote on a Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence", adding "behind that smokescreen, however, the gathering was yet another 'serial assault' against the State of Israel."

The letter listed "campaigns that were discussed, resonant of a 'Third Intifada', - calls for mass demonstrations, beginning in July, by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and by support groups in Europe and North America under the title, 'United for Palestine Independence': -Veiled threats made by delegates e.g. 'this mother of all conflicts can bring violence to all the nations of the world'; 'Palestine will be liberated by a huge anti-apartheid campaign of global civil society'... 'After the vote, we must move from anti-occupation to anti - oppression in a one-state solution'... 'The boycott must be effectively imposed...'"

The Centre suggested, "perhaps we should not be surprised, as this Brussels meeting - following similar initiatives in Latin America and Africa - was organized by the "United Nations Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People", a monster born in the murky shadows of the notorious 1975 Zionism = Racism resolution, which should have been disbanded with that resolution's repeal in 1991.

Guardian journalist shouts anti-Israel slogans at Avigdor Lieberman press conference at EU

BRUSSELS (EJP)---A Irish journalist shouted “Free Palestine” ,“Israel apartheid state” and “Apartheid is a crime” at the start of a press conference by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman with EU officials in Brussels on Tuesday.

Approaching the minister, he shouted: “Mister Lieberman this is a critizen’s arrest. You are charged with the crime of apartheid”.

The man, David Cronin, who writes for several newspapers including The Guardian, The Irish Times and European Voice, was immediately removed from the EU Council press room by security guards.

He reportedly provoked the same kind of incident at a press conference by EU Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair at the European Parliament last year.

“If he is a journalist accreditated to the EU, his press card will be confiscated,” one EU official told EJP.

In November, he published a book titled “Europe’s Alliance with Israel: Aiding the Occupation.”

Lieberman attended in Brussels the 10th meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council, the body governing the relations between the two sides.

At the press conference were also Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, whose country currently chairs the EU, and Stefan Fulle, EU Commissioner responsible for Enlargment and Neighborhood Policy.

François Houtart, Hamas supporter Belgian priest, the next Nobel Peace Prize laureate ?

The ever resourceful Belgians have had yet a new fabulous idea.  They will put foward the name of a Roman Catholic priest François Houtart, 85, for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.  He is of course anti-Israel and a firm believer in creating kangoroo courts to delegitimise Israel ... and legitimise Hamas.

As we wrote previously (François Houtart, a Belgian anti-Zionist priest, awarded UNESCO prize for tolerance and non-violence) (2009):

François Houtart, a Belgian priest and professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, has been awarded (shared) the 2009 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. The announcement reads (excerpt):

"François Houtart (Belgium) for his life-long commitment to world peace, intercultural dialogue, human rights and the promotion of tolerance, and in recognition of his outstanding efforts to advance the cause of social justice in the world. [...]"

What the announcement leaves out is that François Houtart is a staunch anti-Israeli/US militant :

* he signed an appeal launched by Nadine Rosa-Rosso to all candidates for the 736 seats in the European parliament to remove Hamas from the EU terror list (International List Of Hamas Supporters Published, Harry's Place);

* he is a member of the Russell Tribunal for Palestine, concocted by another Belgian, Pierre Galand (Brussels: Launching of the "Russell Tribunal" on Palestine) the third such mock tribunal cooked up in Belgium ...;

* he is the chairman of the BRussells Tribunal - Peple vs Total War, that is co-chaired by Jean Bricmont, professor at the Catholic University of Louvain. Pierre Klein, professor at the Free University of Brussels is the secretary; and

* he is a member of the "People's Court" in which "individuals of concience" tried Israel for "crimes committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon during the summer 2006 [which] are a violent affront to the universal human conscience"(Israel on trial in Brussels: Iranian and Syrian Ambassadors give standing ovation to judges and Lebanon war mock tribunal condemns Israel and U.S.).

WSJ: anti-Semitic riff by EU Commissioner met with "collective yawn" in Europe

Will Brussels Boycott De Gucht?

The European trade commissioner explains why the 'average' Jew is so irrational.

A decade ago, the European Union enforced a cordon sanitaire around Austria's government after a close election led the Christian Democrats to enter a coalition with Jörg Haider's Freedom Party. Mr. Haider had gained notoriety for praising the "employment policies" of Nazi Germany, so the EU establishment put diplomatic relations with Austria into deep freeze over his party's inclusion in government.

How times change. Last week, the European Commission's own trade commissioner, Karel De Gucht, gave vent to his own anti-Semitic riff on Belgian radio. This time, the official reaction seems to be a collective yawn.

The former Belgian foreign minister told VRT radio Thursday that the Mideast peace talks are doomed—thanks to the stubbornness and excessive power of Jews. "Do not underestimate the Jewish lobby on Capitol Hill," Mr. De Gucht said. "That is the best organized lobby, you shouldn't underestimate the grip it has on American politics—no matter whether it's Republicans or Democrats."

To make sure that listeners understood that he wasn't attacking only certain Jewish organizations, Mr. De Gucht offered his thoughts on the "average" Jew. "Don't underestimate the opinion . . . of the average Jew outside Israel," he said. "There is indeed a belief—it's difficult to describe it otherwise—among most Jews that they are right. And a belief is something that's difficult to counter with rational arguments. And it's not so much whether these are religious Jews or not. Lay Jews also share the same belief that they are right. So it is not easy to have, even with moderate Jews, a rational discussion about what is actually happening in the Middle East."

François Houtart, a Belgian anti-Zionist priest, awarded UNESCO prize for tolerance and non-violence

François Houtart, a Belgian priest and professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, has been awarded (shared) the 2009 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. The announcement reads (excerpts):

"François Houtart (Belgium) for his life-long commitment to world peace, intercultural dialogue, human rights and the promotion of tolerance, and in recognition of his outstanding efforts to advance the cause of social justice in the world.

Mr Houtart is an ardent promoter of North-South cooperation and the founder of the Tri-Continental Centre (CETRI), a non-governmental organization renowned for its work on development issues and in the International Council of the World Social Forum. Known throughout his life as a defender of human rights, he has contributed significantly to the advancement of the inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue. As a noted sociologist of religions and theology, he has authored numerous publications and given lectures in over 100 universities around the world. An honorary member of the Academy of Sciences of Vietnam and Cuba and a member of the Commission on Struggle against Racism of the Ecumenical Council of the Churches, he has served as President of the Committee for Human Rights in Burundi (1986-1992); founder and director of the international review "Social Compass" (1960-1990); and President of the International League for People’s Rights (2003-2008)."

What the announcement leaves out is that François Houtart is a staunch anti-Israeli/US militant :

* he signed an appeal launched by Nadine Rosa-Rosso to all candidates for the 736 seats in the European parliament to remove Hamas from the EU terror list (International List Of Hamas Supporters Published, Harry's Place);

* he is a member of the Russell Tribunal for Palestine, concocted by another Belgian, Pierre Galand (Brussels: Launching of the "Russell Tribunal" on Palestine) the third such mock tribunal cooked up in Belgium ...;

* he is the chairman of the BRussells Tribunal - Peple vs Total War, that is co-chaired by Jean Bricmont, professor at the Catholic University of Louvain. Pierre Klein, professor at the Free University of Brussels is the secretary; and

* he is a member of the "People's Court" in which "individuals of concience" tried Israel for "crimes committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon during the summer 2006 [which] are a violent affront to the universal human conscience"(Israel on trial in Brussels: Iranian and Syrian Ambassadors give standing ovation to judges and Lebanon war mock tribunal condemns Israel and U.S.).

[1] On the Centre Tricontinental (CETRI), one can find : 17 articles on Palestine, 0 article on Burundi (in spite of the fact that, according to the statement, the UNESCO prize was awarded for the priest's commitment to the advancement of human rights in Burundi), 3 articles on the Congo, 0 article on Soudan, 9 articles on Sri Lanka etc. It's strange the little attention Burundi, the Congo et Rwanda receive because they were Belgian colonies, and there is a mutually strong link between citizens of these countries and Belgium.

We had a look at the sources of the articles posted on the CETRI blog and we were not disappointed: Electronic Intifada, Le Monde Diplomatique, Counterpunch (surprise surprise Counterpunch ), Palestine Monitor, etc.


- Jean Bricmont and The De-Zionization of the American Mind - The anti-US ravings of an arrogant man

- Special Report: "Pierre Galand (Belgium) Using Political NGOs to Promote Demonization & Anti-Semitism in the UN & EU"

Belgian Christian unions support "Boycott Israel" conference with Ilan Pappé in Brussels

Source: Arab European League

Organiser: Brussels Palestine Collective
Partner: ACV/CSC (Confédération des syndicats chrétiens de Belgique). The talk will be held at the unions' headquarters in Brussels.

"Seeking peace through justice:
The BOYCOTT of Israel !
A legitimate reponse to 62 years of Nakba and 42 years of Occupation
A talk about the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement"

Islamic religion teacher in Brussels disputes Nazi camp survivor testimony

"This never happened to me in 25 years" (Henri Kichka, a Nazi camp survivor. His 15-year old sister was killed in Auschwitz and his father died at Buchenwald. Henri Kichka was saved by the Americans when they liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945.)

"An islamic religion teacher disputed the testimony of a Nazi camp survivor who recounted his story to students in a Brussels secondary school, Le Soir daily newspaper reported Tuesday.

Henri Kichka, from the Union of Jewish deportees in Belgium, had been invited last Friday by the school in Laeken, a Brussels commune, to describe how he survived Buchenwald and his family members were killed in the death camps.

During the meeting with the 150 students, the school was told by a teacher of Islamic religion that Kichka’s account "was largely exaggerated".

"This never happened to me in 25 years", Kichka, who is regularly invited to meet young people, told Le Soir.

The school management had decided to film the meeting because, it said, "witnesses disappear and we want to keep tracks".

On Monday, the trade unions saw the video. "To us, there is no doubt, the teacher quoted negationist ideas from Roger Garaudy", a French revisionist author and philosopher who converted to Islam and called the Holocaust a "myth".

"This will not remain without effect", the school said. An administrative investigation has been opened."

.

Source: article by Maud Swinnen in EJP

----------------------------------------------------------

Unrepentant, the teacher, Abdeltem Samani, has just declared on RTL TV channel that he does not take anything he said back.

----------------------------------------------------------

Henri Kichka, who is 83, is the author of an autobiographical book: "An adolescence in the darkness of the camps".

Cultural boycott of Israel: Tel Aviv architecture exhibition cancelled in Brussels

In what constitutes the first major cultural boycott of the State of Israel in Europe, the "Tel Aviv - White City" exhibition, which was due to open in Brussels on 20 February, has been cancelled. Sadly, this has happened in Brussels, the capital of Europe, the city where the EU institutions are based.

The reason offered for the boycott by one of the organisers is :

"Given the current circumstances of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, La Cambre School of Architecture does not wish to be associated with this event in any way whatsoever." The Cambre School of Architecture asked the Civa [Centre international pour la ville, l’architecture et le paysage, a co-organiser] to consider "suspending the exhibition [i.e. cancel/boycott] because it does not seem ethically acceptable to highlight the architecture of a country which, at the same time, is engaged in the systematic destruction of the physical infrastructure of a neighbour, not to mention of course civilian casualties. There is much cynicism in going ahead with this exhibition, especially as the event is being organised with the support of the authorities that are pursuing this policy which meets with the opprobrium of the international community."

.

Source: article in La Libre Belgique

Visit the exhibition website: Tel Aviv White City

See also: Tel Aviv, the white city

The jihadis of Antwerp North

"They were found guilty of historical revisionism, minimising the Holocaust and inciting to racial hatred, in particular against Jews."

Source: Islam in Europe

"Belgian weekly Knack is coming out with a series of articles about radical Islam in Antwerp. The first article is titled "The Jihadis of Antwerp-North" (De jihadi's van Antwerpen-Noord).

A few days after this article appeared, the Belgian federal police moved to act against a suspected local terrorist cell. Abdessatar Dahmane's widow (the imam marrying them is mentioned in the article) was arrested this week. See Belgium: Al-Qaeda cell apprehended and Belgium: "Mother of al-Qaeda in Europe" saved by Belgian secret service."

Excerpts of Antwerp: The Jihadis of Antwerp North (2) translated by Esther

"International Brothers

Whoever went on a weekend to the Ardennes was written down in the notebook of Jemal Fellous, whose brothers Achmed and Nordine were also active at Rissala [a non-profit organization]. The Fellous family had already gotten in trouble with the law several times and were already sentenced for illegal trade and possession of weapons. In the notebooks which were found in Oma mosque you can see who of Jamaat Tabligh's members attended training in recent years outside Antwerp.

Countless weekends in sites both local and abroad are reported there, but also surprisingly many trip of forty days to Pakistan, the aspiration of every radical Muslim who grows up in the West.

The weekends begin mostly with a lecture at the Tulpstraat. The youth mostly don't know then yet where they are going. Often it's mosques in the Netherlands or the suburbs of Paris. But just as well the trip can lead to Liège or Brussels. For tourism there is no time. The youth stay the whole weekend inside the mosque. At night they sleep on the ground in the house of prayer, by the example of the prophet Muhammad. During the day they can expand their network through contact with like-minded people. The rest of the time is spent by praying and listening to the message of the local imam. The discourse is invariably anti-Western, for strengthening their own faith community and against any form of integration.

Two weeks ago the men of Jamaat Tabligh left Tulpstraat to Anderlecht, for a weekend in the mosque where the Centre Islamique Belge is set up. They got lessons from the followers of the famous French imam of Syrian origin, Bassam Ayachi. Ayachi, beter known as "Sheik Bassam" has been one of the most important radical preachers in Brussels for years. Two years ago his son Abdel Rahman Ayachi and webmaster Raphaël Gendron were sentenced to 10 months in prison, half deferred. Additionally both had to pay a fine of 15,000 euro each and 2,5000 euro to the Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism that had lodged a complaint. They were found guilty of historical revisionism, minimising the Holocaust and inciting to racial hatred, in particular against Jews. Meanwhile it isn't going well for the sheik too. He was arrested on November 11th in the Italian port city of Bari. He must answer for being an accomplice to illegal immigration. Five non-EU citizens were found in a hidden compartment of his camper, he had wanted to bring them from the Middle East through Greece into Western Europe. Bassam is known by the French security services as the man who conducted the marriage of Tunisian Abdessatar Dahmane in Brussels, the fake journalist who together with a companion murdered Afghan rebel leader Ahmed Shah Massoud on the eve of September 11."

Read the whole piece here and
Antwerp: The Jihadis of Antwerp North (1)

Susan Nathan in Brussels to debate Israel apartheid state

Susan Nathan, is a "good Jew" and the author of The Other Side of Israel: My Journey Across the Jewish/Arab Divide, in which she draws a parallel between the Holocaust and Israel's practices toward its own Arab citizens. She has been invited by a group of Belgian anti-Israeli NGOs to give a conference in Brussels today.

You will have guessed that the theme of the conference will turn around what must have become by now the most recycled and unconvincing platitude "Is Israel a racist country whose cruelty goes far beyond the one that prevailed under the old apartheid regime of South Africa?".

Just like their European ancestors used to demonise Jews

This question is relentlessly debated and written about in Europe by people whose only raison d'être and all consuming obsession seems to be the demonisation of Israel, just like their ancestors used to demonise Jews.

They have been arguing daily and for many years that Israel is indeed a racist country which enforces apartheid style policies towards the Palestinians and that it should be severely punished by the international community: imposition of all sort of boycotts, expulsion from the U.N. etc.

Why is it then that they have to keep on trying to persuade themselves as well as others that Israel, and only Israel, is a pariah state? Could it be that their hype rests on shaky ground and that it requires endless campaigning to keep the flame alive and to cloak it with a flimsy appearance of truth and legitimacy? And above all in their own eyes.

Not many converts to the great cause

One thing is to campaign on the basis of a fallacy and an outright lie, another is to have people believe you. The sheer amount of time, money and energy they devote to the great cause proves that common sense prevails and that not many people are listening to them, let alone believing them or embracing their views. And that's great news.

The other speaker at the conference will be Lucas Catherine:
Lucas Catherine conference at Brussels Catholic school: Israel is an apartheid State

Oh Mon Dieu - It’s Dieudonné ... in Brussels

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Varia Theatre in Brussels has invited Dieudonné to perform his latest one man show "Dieudonné et son best of" from 2 to 11 October.

JTA has this on Dieudonné :

"A Paris appeals court upheld charges against a French comedian for making anti-Semitic remarks.

The court on Thursday fined Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala, known as Dieudonné, nearly $11,000 [€ 7,000] for referring to Holocaust remembrance as "memorial pornography" at a news conference following a performance in Algeria in February 2005.

At the same conference, he spoke of the "Zionist lobby, which cultivates the uniqueness of suffering" to the detriment of others.

Dieudonné has long been the center of controversy in France for his repeated anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish statements and stand-up shows.

The comedian has been quoted as saying that "Zionism is the AIDS of Judaism," and in a 2004 interview he said that "those Jews who criticize me are all former slave merchants who now control the media and the banks.""

He is also reported, among other things, as having said:

"Racism was created by Abraham. The 'Chosen People' [is] the beginning of racism. Muslims today are just answering back." "

"Anti-Semitism does not exist because the Jews do not exist.... In my opinion, the Jews are a sect, a rip-off."

"Sanitary cordon" and double-standards

Dieudonné has links with France's far right National Front (FN), and has developed a close friendship with its leader Jean-Marie Le Pen ... who is also his daughter's godfather.

The theatre's choice is dismaying because Belgian French-speaking élites have been operating for several years a strict "sanitary cordon" policy against far right parties and their associates (mainly directed against the Vlaams Belang): no TV or radio time, no interviews, no political or cultural contacts.

Blurring and crossing the lines

But it now turns out that there is at one notable exception to this virtuous rule: Dieudonné. He will be performing at a main Brussels theatre that relies on government subsidies and receives national lottery money ...

To add insult to injury, the blurb (on page 8) refers to Dieudonné as being unfairly treated by the French "media and political establishment" (maybe Le Pen can explain that one) for having performed a TV sketch, and alarmingly assuming that every Belgian is familiar with the sketch and disapproves, as the theatre does, of the totally justified outrage it caused in France. It does neither bother to mention the details nor that it was highly offensive towards Jews (by the way the word Jew that looms large in his work is nowhere to be seen). Dieudonné came on the live TV show dressed as an orthodox Jew wearing a swastika, and saying: "I urge all of you to convert like me [to Judaism]. Join the axis of Good, the American-Zionist axis." He gave a Nazi salute and cried "Isra-Heil".

"He is controversial, boycotted, condemned, and pilloried by the media and political establishment in the neighbouring hexagonal country [a mocking reference to France] ; he was banned from the airwaves after performing a dubious sketch at a TV talk-show as if he had committed a serious fault (...)"

- Dieudonné’s daughter’s godfather: guess who?
- French comic's growing anti-semitism is no joke
- Mon Dieu - It’s Dieudonne
- French comic tries to justify criticism of Holocaust `pornography'
- Laugh Riots, The French star who became a demagogue
- Extremes touch

Former Belgian Minister sparks ire of Jewish community with remarks on Israel, EJP

From the European Jewish Press

"A former Belgian Defense Minister sparked the ire of the Jewish community after he reportedly compared Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians to the fate of the Jews during World War II.

In a speech last Saturday at a pro-Palestinian gathering in Nivelles, near Brussels, André Flahaut, a Socialist MP and city councillor, compared Israel to a Nazi state, according to CCOJB, the umbrella representative group of Belgian Jewish organizations.

He was quoted as saying: “Like any normal person, I am revolted when I see children suffering, when I see maltreated women, who are raped, when I see maltreated men and freedoms ridiculed. During the twelve years and half I was minister, I left no stone unturned so that the atrocities against the Jews during WWII be remembered and not forgotten. I also ask that one have the same commitment, the same determination to make that the voice of those who suffer today is heard and to avoid banalization. I am determined to fight against all exclusions, all nazisms, all fascisms wherever they are.”

In a statement, the “Union of Deported Jews in Belgium-Daughters and Sons of the Deportation”, urged Flahaut to publicly retract his comments.

Flahaut, who was Defense Minister in the former government of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, denied later that he made anti-Jewish comments.

He said the gathering on Saturday was organized by a group advocating dialogue between Israel and Palestine.

When he arrived at the meeting, Flahaut was heckled by a Jewish representative who blamed him for his presence.

The former minister added: "I answered that I am in favour of dialogue and that I have always been determined to fight all forms of violence, racism and extremism. My speech remained general and balanced. I never questioned any state."

During the gathering, pseudo-Israeli soldiers wearing weapons staged a mock repression of Palestinians to illustrate what organizers called in their leaflets the "expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 when Israel was created."

An Ecologist MP, Thérèse Snoy, denounced "pressure from certain Jewish groups" on the city's authorities to ban the demonstration."

See:
For Belgian Minister Israeli military operations in Gaza are "shocking"

In 2008 lots of events hostile to Israel will be hosted - or have already taken place - ... to coincide with Israel's 60th birthday. Here is a small sample:
Norman Finkelstein at Brussels Nakba commemoration day
Israelis compared to Nazi SS on Belgian radio blog
Zionism, a "Tumour in the midst of Judaism", Belgian radio forum
Masarat, Belgium in the Middle East, by the Islam in Europe blog
Content of Belgian-sponsored Palestinian festival irks Jews, JTA
Zan Studio of Ramallah - anti-Israeli artists invited to Belgium
Palestinian festival sparks controversy - Belgium
Israel on trial in Brussels: Iranian and Syrian Ambassadors give standing ovation to judges
Lebanon war mock tribunal condemns Israel and U.S.

Norman Finkelstein at Brussels Nakba commemoration day

Belgian daily Le Soir has gushingly announced that Sunday 18 May will mark Nakba: a Belgian day of commemoration (Nakba: journée belge de commémoration) and noted that "nakba" (catastrophe) is the Palestinian word for the creation of Israel.

Belgium has quite a few homegrown anti-Israel bashers, though none has achieved world celebrity status. To make up for this and to give a touch of excitement to what otherwise would have been a lacklustre and poorly attended event, Norman Finkelstein has been invited to participate and give a talk entitled "60 years of dispossession, 40 years of occupation".

Another "celebrity" speaker will be Israeli Michel Warchawski, a sort of Ilan Pappé French-speaking alter ego.

Oddly (but it could be just posturing, as the programme indicates "subject to confirmation"), Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Karel De Gucht is also due to make an appearance at the Nakba commemoration to take part in a debate on the theme: "When will Belgium play the Palestine card?" ("Quand la Belgique jouera-t-elle la carte de la Palestine?") - this implies that despite the huge brouhaha it hasn't, so far.

By the way, in 2008, Brussels has and will be hosting lots of events hostile to Israel ... to coincide with Israel's 60th birthday. Here is a small sample:

Masarat, Belgium in the Middle East, by the Islam in Europe blog

Content of Belgian-sponsored Palestinian festival irks Jews, JTA

Zan Studio of Ramallah - anti-Israeli artists invited to Belgium

Palestinian festival sparks controversy - Belgium

Israel on trial in Brussels: Iranian and Syrian Ambassadors give standing ovation to judges

Lebanon war mock tribunal condemns Israel and U.S.

Lebanon war mock tribunal condemns Israel and U.S.

Follow-up on:
Israel on trial in Brussels - a prelude to Durban II?
The latest in a long list of initiatives in Europe to demonise Israel

John Catalinotto reports on the condemnation of Israel by the "Peoples' Court".
From the Ramsey Clark's International Action Center website

"A four-member jury of distinguished legal officials, after hearing and considering two days of intense, moving and precise testimony at the International Associations Center in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 24 found the Israeli state guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 2006 war on Lebanon.

Some 250 people filling the center stood as one to applaud as Judge Adolfo Abascal from Cuba finished reading the decision. Those in the courtroom, many from Lebanon or from the Lebanese diaspora, already knew or had heard enough to make up their minds. But a formal decision based on a body of evidence can more effectively counter reactionary imperialist propaganda in the corporate media.
(…)
The organizers counted on the media coverage of the hearing - which was broadcast throughout the Arab world and in Latin America in whole or in part - to bring a convincing statement of Israeli guilt of serious war crimes to their audiences throughout the world. In the imperialist countries it will be up to progressive media and organizations in solidarity with the liberation struggles to spread the news of the tribunal.

There was representative support from organizations in Europe and the U.S., including present and former European Union parliamentary members Louisa Morgantini from Italy and Miguel Urbano Rodrigues from Portugal, and former MP Ángeles Maestro from Spain. Human rights, anti-war and anti-imperialist organizations sent representatives to watch, participate and report on the hearings.
(…)
Introducing the verdict, Justice Lilia Solana made sure to also inculpate the United States for its complicity in the war. The final decision was that the judges "declare the Israeli authorities in charge of the 2006 war against Lebanon guilty of the following international crimes:
1. war crimes
2. crimes against humanity
3. genocide."

Final verdict here

Whereas John Catalinotto indicated that the organizers "counted on the media coverage of the hearing - which was broadcast throughout the Arab world and in Latin America" (organized in Europe for the Arab world – this is intriguing!) Miguel Tavares Rodrigues (an 83-old Portuguese communist) offered a conspirationist and more colourful version of the trials and tribulations of the Peoples' court and their supporters (translated for this blog):

"Al Jazeera TV broadcast the proceedings in full to Arab countries. The so-called mainstream European, as well as Belgian, media ignored the event.
Their silence was the result of pressure from the US Embassy in Brussels, but mainly from the Israeli Embassy, which lobbied actively with a view to preventing the Tribunal from meeting in the Belgian capital city.
The event venue had to be changed because of intimidation and foreign delegations also had to change hotels due to Israeli pressure.
Distinguished members of the organizing committee received repeated phone threats.
It became clear that Mossad, the Israeli political police, operatives were very active before and during the event.
Lawyers and magistrates were unable to attend because they were not granted visas.
Sabotage attempts to prevent the Tribunal from successfully fulfilling its mission failed."

Israel bashing - International citizens' tribunal

First class moonbat at work = Israel bashing coordinator = a lot of hot air as usual: Raoul Marc JENNAR chercheur URFIG / Fondation Copernic consultant de la GUE/NGL (European United Left, Nordic Green Left) at the European Parliament) (bureau 4E202) (office at European Parliament, Brussels) Tél. (PE) : 00 32 2 283 10 43 (phone at the European Parliment, Brussels) raoul.jennar@europarl.europa.eu (email address at the European Parliament, Brussels) Proposal for setting up an international citizens' tribunal on the deeds committed by the Israeli army and secret services in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories The deeds committed by the Israeli army and secret services in Lebanon, as in the occupied Palestinian territories, constitute a violent affront to the universal human conscience. These are criminal acts, as many people feel instinctively. They are different from the acts that take place in all armed conflict committed by the aggressor as well as by the aggressed. But feeling is not enough. The facts must be established. They must then be assessed in the light of existing international law. This should be done with the detachment and rigour of a process that excludes any a priori conclusions, the results of which will convince all people of good will. The international community is not an autonomous political and juridical body. It is but a summation of positions adopted by a certain number of governments. In many situations it has proved incapable of applying existing law by distancing itself from geopolitical or ideological contingencies. This impunity has covered up the numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been committed since the end of the second world war. The unilateral attitude of the United States of America, like the double-speak of many European governments, make it necessary for those defending the law to take the place of failed political powers. The American administration is against any questioning of Israel’s role in acts committed in Lebanon as well as in the occupied Palestinian territories. Germany, Great Britain, Finland and France refuse to support a request formulated at the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the use by the Israeli armed forces of arms that are prohibited by international law. The systematic disinformation practised by an overwhelming majority of the media deprives Western public opinion of balanced information. All this justifies an initiative by the citizens themselves. This initiative must aim at being of the same high quality as the tribunal initiated by Bertrand Russell during the Vietnam war. It should be carried out with the same rigour, the same credibility and the same concern to go beyond divisions which have no place when it is a question of the rights of people. It must bring together highly qualified experts and personalities who are universally recognized for their moral authority. It must not limit itself up to a restricted circle. For this reason I believe it should not follow in the footsteps of similar initiatives taken in the past, whatever the quality that such work has achieved in the past. Such an action cannot be carried out properly in a hurry. It require an the formulation of a comprehensive project, together with a precise timetable, the mobilization of appropriate human and financial resources and an irreproachable moral framework. These requirements demand an international mobilization to support such an initiative. For this purpose we propose that a preparatory committee be set up which will carry out as rapidly as possible all the tasks necessary for launching this initiative. We ask your active participation in creating this preparatory committee. Coordinateurs: Raoul Marc JENNAR, chercheur URFIG / Fondation Copernic consultant de la GUE/NGL au Parlement européen (bureau 4E202) 7, place du Château, F 66500 Mosset Tél. (PE) : 00 32 2 283 10 43, Tel. : 00 33 468 05 84 25 Port. : 00 33 632 16 65 52 www.urfig.org raoul.jennar@europarl.europa.eu

Record number of churches to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

European Coalition for Israel reports:
A record number of local churches in Europe are expected to commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday 27 January 2008. The Remembrance Day, which was initiated by the European Parliament already in 2000 and supported by a declaration of the United Nations in 2005, was first introduced to church communities in Europe a year ago by the European Coalition for Israel. The Coalition brings together organizations and churches which seek to foster better relations between Europe and Israel, commemorate the Holocaust and inform about new forms of anti-Semitism.
At the main event in Brussels last year European Commissioner for Culture and Youth Jan Figel spoke about the need for the younger generations in Europe to learn about the Holocaust. This year European Parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering is scheduled to speak at the event in Brussels where parliamentarians, diplomats and church leaders will attend. But apart from the high profile event in Brussels the organizers hope to inspire over 1000 local churches to commemorate the Holocaust day in their Sunday service on January 27. European director Jeff Fountain of Youth with a Mission explains:
"The Holocaust was a defining phase in Europe's modern history, and its commemoration remains a crucial reminder of what can happen in Europe when we stray from our Judeo-Christian foundations."
Already last year a few hundred churches participated in the campaign despite short notice. This year the organizers will ask each church to also register....“Many churches have asked for a concrete program for the Holocaust event and we will provide them with one”, says Tomas Sandell who is the main coordinator of the campaign and the founding director of European Coalition for Israel.
One of the main objectives of the campaign is to learn what the consequences are when Christians fail to speak up against the evil of our time. One particular issue which is raised in the campaign material is the need for Christians to react differently today when the Jewish nation is threatened with annihilation. The organizers hope that the campaign will teach and inspire Christians in Europe to speak up against any form of evil or genocide.
"The atrocities of the Nazis started with the Jews but it did not stop there. The same pattern can be seen today with those forces who once again wish to eliminate the Jewish people", says Sandell.
The campaign is non-political and includes churches and citizen groups from a variety of backgrounds. Many of the churches which took active part in last years campaign were of immigrant Arab origin. More information on the campaign and a registration form can be found on the website www.learnfromhistory.eu