In Holland, Central European Bank Director Wim Duisenberg
consented when his wife hung a Palestinian flag from the
balcony of their Amsterdam apartment. Over the course of
several weeks the flag she originally acquired through a
Palestinian support organization led to a scandal over
antisemitic remarks made by Mrs. Duisenberg and the use of
her husband's senior position for anti-Israel propagandizing.
Throughout Europe similar, lower profile incidents between
Palestinians and Jews have degenerated into blatant
antisemitism.
After it was first hung out, the flag drew objections from
Jewish organizations and neighbors. In subsequent interviews
Mrs. Duisenberg retorted, "Like all of the rich Jews, they
are responsible for the oppression the Palestinians suffer
from."
Jewish organizations then accused her of inciting hatred and
a Dutch attorney sued her for antisemitic provocation. Only
after the Jewish organizations announced they would ask the
World Jewish Congress to try to prevent Wim Duisenberg from
coming to the US did he take down the flag, but his wife
again accused "a rich Jewish lobby, with tremendous power, of
pressuring anyone in European institutions who defends the
Palestinians." Says Mrs. Duisenberg, the Palestinians have
been forced to watch Israeli flags on tanks surrounding their
cities while in Amsterdam the sight of the Palestinian flag
is not tolerated.
In Paris, Christian and ostensibly anti-racism organizations
(such as MARAP) are trying to ban the publication of a book
by veteran Italian journalist Orianna Falacci that denounces
the pro-Palestinian stance adopted by the European Left and
the Church as old-fashioned antisemitism. Entitled Fury
and Arrogance the book, which identifies fundamentalist
Islam as a source of terrorism and the Left and the Church as
supporters of Palestinian suicide terrorism through their
antisemitism, has already sold one-and-a-half million copies
in Italy.
Seething, left-wing intellectuals accuse her of racism and
incitement against Arabs and Islam. Falacci, herself a
journalist from European leftist circles who once interviewed
Khoumeini in Teheran as well as other Arab dictators, may
have special insights into their true nature.
Islamicists and Jewish intellectuals have been recruited to
counter her contentions. Detractors lodge their most strident
opposition against the final chapter of the book in which
Falacci demonstrates that the pro-Palestinian position of the
Left and the Catholic Church constitutes antisemitism no less
dangerous to Jews and Europe than Islamic terrorism.
Several weeks ago an excerpt of the book appeared in various
newspapers around the world as an article entitled "I am
Ashamed," in which Falacci denounces demonstrations attended
by Vatican priests together with protesters dressed as
Palestinian suicide bombers, saying they support "the
slaughter of Jews in Israel."
The Vatican publication, Observatorre, and the PLO's
representative in Rome published a protest against "the
racist theses." The European Union Against Racism also
denounced the book as "anti-Arab, anti-Islam and anti-
immigration." Only the Jews and the Minister of Culture under
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed support
for the book.
Jewish intellectuals said one book denouncing Islamic and
Arab terrorism and Arab and European antisemitism has been
enough to draw attacks labeling the book and its author
racist and to induce attempts to ban it.
Meanwhile Islam and Arabs enjoy virtual immunity in Europe.
Today in France any criticism and negative remarks about
fundamental Islam are considered unacceptable. At the
entrance to a popular Parisian bookstore shoppers are greeted
by a display of books full of loathing toward Israel, and by
antisemitic propaganda of every kind. Most of these books are
based on falsifications and outright lies. When one such
fabricator, a new historian named Maurice, retracted his
writings and admitted he had erred in presenting the
Palestinians as the victims of a pre-planned mass expulsion
and depicting them as friends of peace, he was condemned as a
"traitor and sell-out to the Zionists."
Philosopher Alan Finkelkraut says Falacci's book is not
racist. Falacci is right in saying Islamic violence cannot be
attributed to poverty allegedly caused by the West. "The
violence does stem from their civilization, but it is not the
entire Islamic civilization."
As elections in France draw near, Jewish organizations in
French suburbs are holding a special conference today to warn
voters of the threat posed by the radical Left and the Green
Party in the present climate of antisemitism. Far Left
political parties are promoting candidates in every district
and could defeat the Socialists and eliminate the party,
incidentally causing an increase in antisemitic
politicians.
