A court in Belgium acquitted a famous writer of charges of anti-Semitism
The criminal court of the city of Ghent in Belgium acquitted Belgian writer and playwright Herman Brusselmans of charges of inciting hatred and advocating violence against the Jewish community.
The case was initiated after the publication of his column in the Humo magazine, where he expressed a desire to “stick a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew he met” in response to the suffering of Palestinian children in Gaza.
According to the website newsru.co.il, the court’s verdict, which acquitted the writer, states: “Individual members of the Jewish community may be offended by certain statements, however, the author’s right to express his opinion is protected by freedom of speech, guaranteed by the Constitution of Belgium”.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, head of the European Jewish Association (EJA), commenting on the court’s decision, stated that it signals that incitement to murder can be justified and even legitimized – if it concerns the murder of Jews.
