Prodi halts plan for anti-Semitism seminar

European Commission chief Romano Prodi on Monday froze plans for a seminar with Jewish leaders in February after they accused the commission of fuelling anti-Semitism.

Prodi’s aides said it was now up to the Jewish leaders to explain their charges against the commission that were published in an article in Monday’s Financial Times.

“The ball is in their court. We have no other choice than suspending planning for the seminar,” senior aide Ricardo Levi told Reuters.

President of the World Jewish Congress Edgar Bronfman and President of the European Jewish Congress Cobi Benatoff yesterday castigated the commission for its handling of two reports that stirred up sensitive anti-Semitic issues.

“Anti-Semitism can be expressed in two ways: by action and by inaction. Remarkably, the European Commission is guilty of both,” they wrote.

Romano Prodi was reported to be surprised and angered by the remarks, with one spokesman describing the claims as “totally incomprehensible.”

The commission president agreed in November to host a seminar on tackling anti-Semitism following diplomatic tensions with Israel over a recently published EU poll.

The ‘Eurobarometer’ survey showed that 59 per cent of Europeans believed Israel to be the biggest threat to world peace, ahead of North Korea and Iran.

Brussels also stands accused by the Jewish community of trying to shelve a report by its anti-racism watchdog in Vienna which revealed that Muslims and pro-Palestinians were behind the recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Europe.

The commission on Monday firmly rejected the charge that it had tried to suppress the report.

Following yesterday’s criticisms, Prodi’s aides said he no longer felt the conditions were right to hold the conference next month.

The FT reported at least four heated telephone calls between Prodi’s Brussels office and the New York headquarters of the World Jewish Congress.

Executive vice-President of the congress Elan Steinberg said, “If indeed there is a freeze on this seminar, it speaks volumes for their attitude. To paraphrase the Bible: ‘They have been weighed in the scales and found wanting.’”

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