Brussels, Belgium Image by Getty Images

JTA — Jewish community leaders in Belgium protested a local politician’s placing of a swastika painting titled “God created A. Hitler” in the window display of an art gallery in Brussels.

The painting by Fatmir Limani, an artist and the Socialist Party alderman in charge of cultural affairs in the Brussels-area municipality of Koekelberg, is scheduled to be featured until September 30 in the prestigious Bog-Art gallery.

New post (Does art justify everything : controversial swastika painting displayed in Brussels gallery) has been published on EJP – https://t.co/ZNIFOpW27Q pic.twitter.com/nRfBCfdQcM

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

— EuropeanJewishPress (@EuroJewishPress) September 20, 2019

It is located about 600 yards away from the Jewish Museum of Belgium, where in 2014 four people were killed in a terrorist attack, allegedly perpetrated by an Islamist.

“It’s shocking,” Yohan Benizri, president of the CCOJB umbrella group representing French-speaking Belgian Jews, told the RTBF broadcaster Tuesday. “Seeing something like this on the streets of Belgium, it can be offensive. Seeing it in the context of rising anti-Semitism, it makes Belgium’s image seem even worse than it’s seen locally and international [sic] today.”

The artist, Benizri added, has a record of using shocking visuals and did not seem to attempt to single out Jews, but has nonetheless displayed “bad taste” with the swastika painting, Benizri said.

Joel Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism, or LBCA, told RTBF: “The passerby seeing this on the street isn’t given the key to decipher the artist’s meaning,” leading to shock and the potential for mainstreaming Nazi symbols.

Belgium has seen several anti-Semitism scandals recently, including over the inclusion of a hooked nose gesture for the word “Jew” in the official Flemish sign language dictionary.

The post Belgian Jews protest swastika painting at Brussels art gallery appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount