Extreme Right Belgian Party Seeks Jewish Support October 5, 2006

The far-right wing Belgian political party Vlaams Belang, headed by one of the most successful extreme-Right leaders in Europe, Filip Dewinter, recently called on the Jewish public to join his campaign against radical Islam and support his party, Ynet reported today.

Dewinter heads Belgium’s Vlaams Belang party, which advocates strict limits on immigration and has been denounced as xenophobic.

The politician called Antwerp’s large Jewish community a natural partner “against the main enemy of the moment, radical Islamic fundamentalism,” according to a report in The Independent….

“If they won’t accept our way of life, if they won’t accept those principles which are very clear and very necessary for Western democracy, I don’t think we have to recognize Islam as an official religion in our country,” Dewinter said recently.

Precisely what is meant by “principles which are very clear and necessary for Western democracy”? Examining the Vlaams Belang manifesto:

It must be made clear to aliens and immigrants in Flanders that they are expected to comply with our laws, and also to adapt to our values and morality, to our habits and to important traditional principles of European civilization, such as the separation of church and state, democracy, freedom of speech and the equal status of men and women.

For those aliens and immigrants who reject, ignore or contest the above, a policy of repatriation will be implemented, through appropriate legislation regulating political asylum, nationality, security and expulsion. Illegal and criminal aliens must be repatriated. Voting rights are reserved for citizens.

In addition, as an aside:

The Vlaams Belang strives for the secession of Flanders from the artificial Belgian state. Our aim is to dissolve Belgium and establish an independent Flemish state.

So what will Flanders be like under the Vlaams Belang? What precisely are Jews supposed to get behind?

Concerts against Racism in Belgium were billed by Vlaams Belang as anti-them.

Vlaams Belang is already the darling of prejudiced websites like MajorityRights.com whose extensive blogs contain many Vlaams Belang statements. Among them this, from an interview with the New York Jewish Week:

Jewish Week: There are those who fear that first you will go after the Moroccans and then the Jews. How do you respond?

Dewinter: This is ridiculous. You could say the same about president Bush or Tony Blair: “First they are going after radical Islam, then they will go after the Jews.” As if Judaïsm were an extension of Islam. In our view, Judaïsm and Islam are absolute not two of the same kind. On the contrary, they are foes. One has to choose sides. Which side are you on in the “war on terror”? The side of western democracy and western civilization, with its Judeo-Christian roots, or the side of radical Islam? The side of Great Britain, America and Israel, or the side of Iran, Sudan and the Taliban?

Jewish Week: There are those who say Jews should not be voting for a party that espouses xenophobia. Your reaction?

Dewinter: “Xenophobia” is not the word a would use. If it absolutely must be a “phobia” let it be “islamophobia”. Yes, we’re afraid of Islam. The islamisation of Europe is a frightening thing. Even distinguished Jewish scholars as Bat Ye’or and Bernard Lewis warned for this. If this historical process continues, the Jews will be the first victims. Europe will became as dangerous for them as Egypt or Algeria. So, I return your question. Should Jews vote for a party that wants to stop the spread of Islam in Europe? …

First of all, it’s easy to say this when you have no connection to Israel.

Second of all, I make the following assertion: The entire ‘Judaism vs. Islam’ lie is being invented by Christians. Not only are two ideologies rarely in conflict, the entire premise is a lie (see the Ramba”m, see Rav Shlomo Amar, see the Shulchan Aruch).

Third of all, there is no line-item vote. You get what you vote for. All of it.