Anti-Semitic clichés such as hooked noses, sidelocks and shtreimel can be seen again at the controversial Aalst Carnival.
Belgium: Controversial Aalst Carnival – The most important thing to start with: There is outrage around the world about this carnival. Aalst's mayor says that they are fed up with the allegations, and so anti-Semitic clichés are being used again.
Anti-Semitic clichés
The Aalst carnivalists knew that they were “under observation” this year. But at the big parade last Sunday there were still a lot of costumes that used anti-Semitic clichés: hooked noses, sidelocks, curls, long teeth.
The group “Lossendeirdeveirdeirdeir” made fun of the global outrage, including from Israel.
At the Aalst Carnival people laugh at “everything and everyone”. “It’s even written that way in the code of humor,” said city group members.
Sharp criticism
The Belgian Jewish community found this anything but funny. The protest was so strong last year that UNESCO threatened to withdraw the “World Heritage Site” designation that was awarded to the Aalst Carnival in 2010.
Volker Beck from the Green Party wrote on Twitter:
#anti-Semitism in a long time : The carnival in #Aalst :
Jews with Schtreimel portrayed as cockroaches or vermin.Hitler and Julius Streicher would have had fun there. https://t.co/gLzHmfFynA
— Volker Beck (@Volker_Beck) February 23, 2020
Mayor Christoph D'Haese says that they are not anti-Semites or racists. He insists on freedom of satire and states that Aalst will always be “the capital of mockery and satire”.
Reminder for carnivalists
The carnivalists have been warned several times in the past few days. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on Twitter that Belgium should be “ashamed of allowing such a toxic anti-Semitic display.” He further demands that the authorities should “condemn and ban the hateful parade in Aalst”. Five MEPs had called for something similar from the city.
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Bart Somers, the Flemish Interior Minister, does not want to impose a ban because, after all, it is about freedom of expression. But he also asked D'Haese to stop anti-Semitic depictions. However, D'Haese would not comply with this because he is not a "censorship mayor". So he just called on the groups to show more respect for “sensitivities”. However, this had no effect.
In 2010, city council member Michel Van Brempt circulated buttons depicting a Star of David. He himself simply stated that he didn't recognize it, he had just played around a little with the Aalst city logo.
Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung
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