In the video, which was posted on Zinneke.tv’s YouTube channel on November 5, Ahidar compares Israel’s actions to the genocide of Jews during World War II. “I think everyone can see that this is human genocide. I can use that term. I went to Auschwitz in Poland, to see what genocide is, what a massacre is. Today I see practically the same methods being used (in Gaza, ed.).”
Ahidar, who in addition to being a Member of Parliament in Brussels is also chairman of the Council of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), later believes in the video that Israel has “done everything to exterminate this Palestinian population” for 75 years. Later in the conversation, he calls the terrorist attack of October 7 “a small reaction from part of Hamas” and says that he regrets that “unfortunately the world only focuses on that part.”
Vooruit announces that it distances itself from Ahidar’s statements: “Vooruit condemns any form of violence,” emphasizes the spokesperson for chairman Conner Rousseau. “Both the horror committed by the terrorist organization Hamas, and the violence committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. We stand with the innocent victims and call for a humanitarian ceasefire.”
Even Rousseau agrees The morning on Radio 1 that “internal conversations” will follow. “There will be no more communication about it before that happens.”
The opposition in the VGC – the Dutch-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament – believes that Ahidar cannot remain as chairman of that Council. Party colleague and Brussels State Secretary Ans Persoons also reacts sharply and calls the statements “nonsense”, while Green faction leader Arnaud Verstraete finds the statements “totally inappropriate” for a chairman of the VGC.
Last year, Ahidar lost his seat on the Vooruit party board because he had opposed the party’s position on slaughter without stunning.
Tags: Brussels Fouad Ahidar calls Hamas massacre small reaction Vooruit distances
