"Bill White, a staunch ally of the president like many US ambassadors, on Monday demanded Belgium drop a ridiculous and antisemitic investigation into three Jewish men suspected of performing circumcisions without medical qualifications. In a social media post, White demanded Belgium's very rude socialist health minister, Frank Vandenbroucke, stop the unacceptable harassment and disgusting treatment of the three men. He also called on Belgium to do a much better job on antisemitism."
"White's post drew an immediate rebuke from Belgium's foreign minister, Maxime Prevot. Any suggestion Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable, Prevot said, accusing the ambassador of violating fundamental diplomatic norms. White responded that Belgium should change its law or label the investigation into three beautiful religiously qualified and wonderful men antisemitic. Accusations that he was interfering in Belgium's judicial affairs were a political distraction, he said."
"After being summoned to the foreign ministry on Tuesday, White insisted there was no need for him to apologise. He had explained our position and that of President Trump and of our country, he said, and hoped Belgium could legalise this process. Belgian authorities said White had been reminded of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, adding: Personal attacks on a member of the government and interference in Belgium's internal affairs are contrary to these basic diplomatic rules."
A diplomatic row has escalated between Belgium and the US after US ambassador Bill White accused Belgium of antisemitism and demanded authorities drop an investigation into three Jewish ritual circumcisers. The probe targets three mohels in Antwerp suspected of performing circumcisions without medical training; circumcision is legal in Belgium but must be performed under strict medical conditions. White publicly criticized Belgium's health minister and urged legal change or abandonment of the investigation, and he refused to apologise when summoned by the foreign ministry. Belgian officials condemned the antisemitism allegation as false and offensive, reminded the ambassador of the Vienna convention, and warned against personal attacks and interference.
#belgiumus-relations #antisemitism-allegation #ritual-circumcision-mohels #diplomatic-norms-vienna-convention
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]