”Far-right organisations that pretend to fight antisemitism while simultaneously engaging in nostalgic tributes to fascism are totally devoid of credibility.”
The European Jewish Association (EJA) strongly condemned the actions of Filip Dewinter, a senior member of the extreme right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) political party, who was recently photographed posing with a fascist flag and using a Nazi slogan.
The flag belongs to the of the fascist Verdinaso movement, a collaborationist group active during World War II. Dewinter He used the phrase “Onze eer is trouw”, a near-literal translation of the SS motto “Meine Ehre heißt Treue”.
In a statement, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, said: “There is no place in European politics for those who flirt with fascist symbols, historical revisionism, or Nazi-era slogans. It is simply grotesque and unacceptable that a politician in this day and age would openly pose with the flag of a movement whose members helped deport Jews and collaborated with the Nazi regime.(
”We call on Vlaams Belang to take immediate action and expel Mr. Dewinter from the party. Far-right organisations that pretend to fight antisemitism while simultaneously engaging in nostalgic tributes to fascism are totally devoid of credibility,” he added.
Michael Freilich, who is a Belgian Member of Parliament and Special Envoy of the EJA for Intercultural Dialogue and Holocaust Remembrance, already raised this issue during a session of the Antwerp City Council this week, pointing to the unacceptable double standard of condemning antisemitism while glorifying collaborationist movements of the past.
Regina Sluszny, President of the Antwerp-based Forum of Jewish Organisations, said:“The true nature of Vlaams Belang is once again exposed. Behind the polished image and strategic outreach to the Jewish community lies the same ideological soil — one that flirts with fascism, glorifies authoritarian history, and denies the lessons of the past.”
In its statement, the EJA reminded all political actors that respect for Holocaust memory and Jewish communities ”is not a marketing strategy but a moral obligation.” ”Anything less, especially when combined with such blatant provocation, is a stain on European democracy,” tbe organization said.