Not Knowing One's Friends
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Mon, 2005-08-29 13:35
A quote from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on 28
August 2005
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has made it clear that [...] Israel's policy is largely derived from the official Belgian policy. Thus, for example, Israel's embassy in Brussels is not in contact with [the Flemish secessionist Vlaams Belang] party, despite its size, and does not provide it with information as it does in the case of other parties in the [Belgian] parliament. According to Jerusalem, its policy represents an ethical stand because Vlaams Belang is a xenophobic party that opposes immigrants and expresses racism. In addition, the party advocates the dismantling of Belgium and the establishment instead of an independent state in the Flemish part. Thus, an Israeli connection would be seen as intervening in the internal affairs of Belgium.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has made it clear that [...] Israel's policy is largely derived from the official Belgian policy. Thus, for example, Israel's embassy in Brussels is not in contact with [the Flemish secessionist Vlaams Belang] party, despite its size, and does not provide it with information as it does in the case of other parties in the [Belgian] parliament. According to Jerusalem, its policy represents an ethical stand because Vlaams Belang is a xenophobic party that opposes immigrants and expresses racism. In addition, the party advocates the dismantling of Belgium and the establishment instead of an independent state in the Flemish part. Thus, an Israeli connection would be seen as intervening in the internal affairs of Belgium.