Charlie Hebdo – The Jewish community pay tribute to the 17 victims of the attacks in France

The group “Belgium stands with Israel” organized a tribute to the 17 victims of last week’s attacks in France. The tribute took place on Wednesday at 7pm, in the synagogue in avenue Messidor in Uccle. Around 200 people turned up, among which were representatives for Jewish associations and the Muslim Executive for Belgium. A representative of “Belgium stands with Israel” opened the ceremony by saying that anti-Semitism today was linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the fact that the line between anti-Semitism and antizionism was very fine today. Seventeen candles were lit.

“I was there in Paris when they took away the bodies of the four victims at Hyper Cacher”, said Rabbi Samuel Pinson. “I was at the funeral in Jerusalem. It touched me deeply that during this difficult moment, I didn’t hear a single cry for revenge, a single hateful word”.

As the former President of the Parliamentary commission for the control of information services, Uccle mayor Armand De Decker called for firm measures to protect against attacks on democracy. “I’ve recommended that the Belgian government proposes a war budget to Parliament. A budget that would give the Justice minister, Home Affairs minister, the police and information services everything they need to do their work as efficiently as possible”. He finished his speech by agreeing with French Prime minister Manuel Valis. “Belgium without the Israelite community would not be Belgium”.

 Forest mayor Jean-Marc Ghyssels referred to the attack on the Belgian Jewish Museum, the Charlie Hebdo attack, and the anti-Semite attack in Paris two days before. Reaffirming what mayor De Decker said, he announced “mayors in the Midi zone have written a letter to the federal government to ask for extra police, and possibly army intervention, to protect Jewish institutions”.

The French ambassador Bernard Valero praised the cooperation between Belgium and France.

(Source: Belga)


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.