 |
| Why no outcry over this anti-Jewish horror float? |
|
I WAS amazed at the weak and outrageous coverage that a disgusting antisemitic display last week attracted.
I refer to the picture of the Belgian carnival float with huge puppets made to resemble grinning Jews. The Jewish Telegraph reported: “The display features two giant puppets with streimels — the hats favoured by some Orthodox Jews — in pink suits. “They both have sidelocks. One of the puppets is grinning while smoking a cigar and extending a hand, presumably to collect money. “That puppet has a white rat on his right shoulder. “Both puppets are standing on gold coins and have money bags at their feet.” After viewing film of this incident, I am amazed that you would limit your criticism to just the above. On the first float there are not only rats on the shoulders of the chassidic puppets, but black rats protruding from their crotches. On the second float, children dressed and acting as chassidim periodically unflap their trouser fronts to reveal grey rats exhibiting peyot dangling from the rats’ ear. And the chimney wall on the second float is only missing some black smoke! The mayor of the town and the float designer described this as “humour”. Really? Might as well call the gas chambers “humour”. Where was the Jewish outrage, let alone that of non-Jews? Why was there no criticism of the extreme, obscene nature and the fact that children were being used? If Jews are prepared to just say “tut, tut” and then move on, then we encourage antisemitism. There should be calls for the mayor’s resignation and prosecution of the float designers. Don’t let this matter just fade into yesterday’s news. Stand up and be counted. I am writing to the MEPs for the North-West in the hope that they might raise this in Brussels.
Maurice Canton,
E-MAIL: letters@jewishtelegraph.com If you have a story or an issue you want us to cover, let us know - in complete confidence - by contacting newsdesk@jewishtelegraph.com, 0161-741 2631 or via Facebook / Twitter
|