SWC to Spanish Prime Minister: Obstructing the Blockage of Hezbollah TV in Spain and Donning the "Hamas Scarf" Encourages Terrorism

July 25, 2006

CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE - CENTRO SIMON WIESENTHAL
64, avenue Marceau - 75008 Paris - Tel. +33 (0) 1 47 23 76 37 - Fax: +33
(0) 1 47 20 84 01
E-mail: csweurope@compuserve.com 

Wiesenthal Centre to Spanish Prime Minister: Obstructing the Blockage of Hezbollah TV in Spain and Donning the "Hamas Scarf" Encourages Terrorism

Paris

In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, stated: "We are advised that, following the French closure of EUTELSAT's transmission of Al Manar Hezbollah television due to its calls for the murder of Christians and Jews, our Centre's efforts for a similar shutdown of such hate programming via HISPASAT to Latin America, were obstructed by your administration.

Samuels also expressed shock at Spain's leader wearing the so-called "Palestinian scarf" at last week's Socialist Youth Movement Assembly. "This scarf is not a symbol of religious respect, as in the donning of a skullcap on entering a synagogue or a hijab or removing shoes at the door of a mosque.  This apparent sympathy for those most hostile to peace and most extreme in incitement to hate goes beyond the Middle East context."

The Centre urged the Prime Minister "to publicly clarify these positions."

The letter concluded: "Whether these are based on a naive misreading by your advisors or a conscious policy of appeasement, such acts - if accurate - can only encourage further assaults by the terrorist forces associated with the perpetrators of the 11 March 2005 atrocities in the railway stations of Madrid.  Undoubtedly, they would disqualify Spain from a role in the Middle East peace process."

Use this link to read the letter to Prime Minister Zapatero...

Utilice esta conexión para leer la carta para Preparar a Ministro Zapatero...

For further information, please contact Dr. Samuels at +33 6 09 77 01 58.