^{Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association: ‘’Yes, the right to satire, irony and sarcasm, even the right to caricature, exist and are rightly part of the foundations of our society. But the comments made by Mr. Brusselmans, who not only claims to interpret the objectives of the Israeli government, but also "feels like sticking a sharp knife in the throat of every Jew he meets", are in no way an exercise of these rights.’’}

By Yossi Lempkowicz

Among the organizations that decided to file a criminal lawsuit against Herman Brusselmans for incitement to murder and hate crime as well as a criminal lawsuit against the media group DPG, its owners, the board members and the editor, is the European Jewish Association (EJA), the Brussels-based largest Jewish group in Europe representing hundreds of Jewish communities from across the continent.

A column by writer Herman Brusselmans published in Flemish weekly satirical magazine Humo contained such disgusting antisemitic and hate-filled remarks that several Jewish and non-Jewish organizations decided to start legal proceedings against the author and the magazine for ”incitement to murder.”

In his column, Brusselmans wrote that “the image of a screaming Palestinian boy for his mother lying under the rubble” – and the idea that it would be his girlfriend and son buried under the debris – makes him “so furious” that he wants to “ram a pointed knife down the throat’’ of every Jew he encounters.

He accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of murdering children and dragging the world into a third world war. He wrote: “The Middle East will explode, with unruly consequences for the rest of the world. And all this by a small, thick and bald Jew, who bears the ominous name of Bibi Netanyahu. I see a picture of a Palestinian child crying and screaming completely beyond all senses to his mother lying under the debris, and I imagine that this child is my son Roman, and the mother is my friend Lena, and I am so angry that I want to push a sharp knife in the throat of every Jew I come across.”

Brusselmans sought to defend himself by invoking his right to express satire, irony and sarcasm, judging that those who accuse him are “completely off the mark.’’

Among the organizations that decided to file a criminal lawsuit against Brusselmans  for incitement to murder and a hate crime as well as a criminal lawsuit against the media group DPG, its owners, the board members and the editor, is the European Jewish Association (EJA), the Brussels-based largest Jewish group in Europe representing hundreds of Jewish communities from across the continent.

‘’It is one thing to express a personal opinion, no matter how despicable, but the editor and publishers decided to promote the words and distribute them to a huge audience,’’ said EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin in a statement on Thursday.

He added, ‘’Yes, the right to satire, irony and sarcasm, even the right to caricature, exist and are rightly part of the foundations of our society. But the comments made by Mr. Brusselmans, who not only claims to interpret the objectives of the Israeli government, but also “feels like sticking a sharp knife in the throat of every Jew he meets”, are in no way an exercise of these rights.’’

‘’Mr. Brusselmans’ remarks strike at other important foundations of our society: those that say that we should not incite hatred and that we should not wish to “stick a knife in the throat” of anyone, especially someone of a different faith,’’ stressed Rabbi Margolin.

‘’These foundations are, quite rightly protected in a democratic society, enshrined by the penal code,’’ he added.

With his criminal complaint, the EJA said it is acting also on behalf of the Forum of Jewish Organizations in Antwerp, the Jewish Information and Documentation Centre ASBL, the Israelite Congregation of Antwerp Shomre Hadass and Belgium and Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism

In Belgium there are  several options for filing a criminal claim, through the police, before the prosecutor and before an investigating judge.

‘’Our lawyers are examining all the various possibilities and avenues. The submission of a formal legal complaint is scheduled for the beginning of the week. The legal procedures are being led by two  prominent and respected Belgian lawyers,David Szafran and Sven Mary, in conjunction EJA’s legal department led by Adv. Shlomo Dahan and with other specialised lawyers and legal experts in this field,’’ Rabbi Margolin explained.

The submission of a formal legal complaint is scheduled for the beginning of next week.

Source: EJPress