Belgium: Adding Insult to Injury

Hat tip Algemeiner


In the wake of the Brussels attacks this month, a member of the country's Jewish community was trying to help arrange the return home to Israel of two persons who were wounded in the attacks. That's when the operator in a Belgian crisis call center took exception to the caller's reference to Israel and insisted on calling it Palestine.  Algemeiner has the report. There is a link in the article to Joods Actueel, a Jewish Flemish language website in Belgium (also linked on this site), which has the recording. The conversation is in Flemish without sub-titles.

http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/03/31/belgian-call-center-fires-employee-for-denying-israels-existence-during-conversation-with-jewish-volunteer-following-isis-bombings/

"IPG profoundly regrets that an employee, when answering a call to the crisis centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, systematically used “Palestine” to indicate the country of Israel, and by doing so sought confrontation with a Jewish volunteer.

IPG distances itself fully from this inappropriate behaviour.

Being a strictly isolated incident, it goes entirely against all IPG values and rules of conduct.

Moreover, the incident sharply contrasts with the excelling dedication shown by our crisis centre teams who have answered thousands of calls, day and night. We are very grateful for their commitment.

Given the severity of the facts the collaboration with the person concerned has been terminated with immediate effect.

IPG apologizes to all who may have been offended by the acts of our former employee.

IPG would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy to all the victims of the tragic events of last week in Brussels, as well as their relatives."