Mayor of Jerusalem insults Belgian PM

Ehud Olmert, the mayor of Jerusalem, today made derogatory and insulting remarks against Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, currently the host of the European Union presidency.

Ehud Olmert is a member of Likud (right-wing), the same party as Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. He declared that with the excuse of fighting for human rights and justice, an anti-Israeli campaign is being fought in Belgium.

Mr. Olmert used an insulting and derogatory remark to describe the Belgian Prime Minister to the Israeli state radio station today (November 18th) and declared that Mr. Sharon should not receive him during his visit, with other EU dignitaries, to Israel.

These statements represent the acrimony felt by the Israeli authorities against the EU in general and Belgium in particular, over the policy to support the Palestine Authority directly. The Israelis believe that financial aid will be used to purchase weapons to use against the state of Israel.

On Friday, the Belgian State Television channel broadcast a BBC programme which incriminated Ariel Sharon in the crime against humanity committed in the Sabra and Chatila massacres. At these two Palestinian camps, hundreds of civilians were murdered by Christian Falangist death squads acting under the auspices of Ariel Sharon, then Defence Minister. Sharon is accused of complicity in these murders.

In June, a case was opened in a Brussels court, under a law passed in 1993, which gives Belgian courts the right to try crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Israel has recently pronounced itself against European union iniciatives to broker a Middle east peace deal due to the fact that it is considered as being “too pro-Arab”.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru