Anti-semitism row continues to flare
RICHARD CARTER
07.01.2004 @ 09:38 CET
The simmering row between the European Commission and Jewish leaders refuses to go away.
Commission President Romano Prodi said yesterday in Dublin that the breakdown in relations was no fault of theirs. "The problem does not lie on the side of the Commission", said Mr Prodi.
But Jewish representatives hit back. In comments published today by the Financial Times Deutschland, the Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, Elan Steinberg, reacted calmly to the news that a planned seminar between the EU and Jewish leaders had been cancelled at Mr Prodi's request.
Commission President Romano Prodi has reacted furiously to allegations that his institution is anti-semitic (Photo: European Commission)
"It is not we who need this seminar. The EU needs it to fight anti-semitism", said Mr Steinberg.
Commenting ironically on the strong reactions the row has caused, he added, "we are surprised that there isn't the same anger over anti-semitism in Europe".
Bad feelings
The row began when the President of the World Jewish Congress Edgar M. Bronfman and the President of the European Jewish Congress Cobi Benatoff wrote a letter to the FT, accusing Brussels of anti-semitism.
The representatives were angry at a eurobarometer poll showing that 59 percent of Europeans thought that Israel was the greatest threat to world peace.
They also condemned the censorship of a study by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia which concluded that Muslims and pro-Palestinian groups were behind many reported incidents of anti-semitism.
Mr Prodi reacted furiously to the publication of the letter and promptly cancelled a planned seminar to disuss anti-semitism.
He repeated yesterday that both the poll and report were drawn up by institutions independent of the Commission.
