Filip Dewinter and Vlaams Blok

Posted by Geoff Beck on August 29, 2005, 06:21 PM | #

Groveling. Well, that is why I am not a politician. Why does he need to grovel before a foriegn

audience, anyway? Do Israelies vote in Belgian elections?

Posted by Matra on August 29, 2005, 07:12 PM | #

Maybe the Jewish vote in Antwerp could be the difference in the election mentioned in the article. Many of them are Orthodox and so would have stronger ties to Israel than many secular Jews. Buttering them up can’t hurt as his Arab and leftist opponents are mostly hostile to Israel. Also, as the article mentions they dominate Antwerp’s important diamond business.

I was quite encouraged by the forthright way in which Dewinter talks about Arabs and Muslims. Openly proposing a quota system at public swimming pools for young Muslims and demanding recognition of white rape victims would destroy the careers of politicians in many countries. In Canada he’d be driven out of public life for less.

Posted by Geoff Beck on August 29, 2005, 07:19 PM | #

Matra,

Well, it seems odd to me, if Dewinter is after the votes of ethnic Jews who are citizens of Belgium, well, it seems to me he ought to be making speeches in Belgium.

Well, I guess I’m a simpleton?

Posted by Braveheart on August 30, 2005, 03:34 AM | #

First remark that Haaretz is a left-wing Israeli newspaper. The kind of people thus that would sell the Arabs the string with which they could be hanged. In my opinion they also underestimate the Jewish plight in Antwerp from the marauding Muslim youth. Also because Jews in Antwerp wear traditional clothing. It’s a shame Haaretz doesn’t give this more attention.

Haaretz also makes a mistake when stating that many of the ultra-Orthodox Jews do not speak Flemish (in fact Dutch) for the simple reason that they mostly are well-educated and education in Antwerp is Dutch-only. Perhaps twenty years ago the Antwerp Jews went to Brussels to study in French, but that’s now finished. Indeed, why should they go to Brussels? In Brussels there is, as a general line, a kind of modern Apartheid education: the Muslims and blacks study in French and the natives in Dutch. Only some exceptions: some French-speaking model schools such as Le Lycée Molière http://www.lycee-moliere.org/ , but that represents not so much. It even must be said that most Jews in Flanders speak three, four or five languages, BTW the same as much Flemish themselves.

Also don’t forget that Vlaams Belang now stands at 35% of the votes in Antwerp. With the Flemish voting system, at approximately 40% Dewinter has a majority in the Antwerp city council. So indeed the Jewish vote is important to him. But the simple truth is that Vlaams Belang and Likud are two birds of a feather…

Flanders,

Posted by Geoff Beck on August 30, 2005, 09:14 AM | #

> Vlaams Belang and Likud are two birds of a feather

That is a scary thought!

Though, I certainly accept your knowledge and judgement of the political situation in Belgium, over my analysis - which is next to nothing.

Yet, the Jews are a Levantine people, tribal, and with permanent memories. In my opinion there is no partnership with them, for they accept no equals.

Dewinter is a politician - and I am not, and I speak and write not as a politician - so I suppose he has a political calculation to make.

Posted by Geoff Beck on August 30, 2005, 05:37 PM | #

BTW, I tried to post a similar comment on the Amren thread (08/29 at 10:21 PM,08/29 at 11:19 PM) , and all such comments were refused.

Curiously, Amren allows quite harsh and direct comments about Blacks and Hispanics, but Jews… well, that won’t fly.