European Jews turn on Cameron over Euro group

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

An article by James Macintyre in tomorrow’s New Statesman will reveal that Jewish leaders from around Europe, led by the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, have called on David Cameron to reconsider his party’s new grouping in Europe, chaired by Michal Kaminski.

The Rabbi tells Macintyre:

“It is clear that Mr Kaminski was a member of the National Revival of Poland, a group that is openly far right and neo-Nazi. Anyone who would want to align himself with a person who was an active member of NOP and the Committee to Defend the Good Name of Jedwabne, which was established to deny historical facts of the massacre at Jedwabne, needs to understand with what and by whom he is being represented.”

Also in Poland, Rafal Pankowski of Never Again, the anti-racist organisation, said:

“Kaminski is a person with an extreme right background and to have him of all people as chairman of the group that legitimises far right tendancies across Europe – this is somewhat ironic for a leader like Cameron who opposed the BNP, for example, domestically to allow this person with a very clear far-right background to lead in Europe. I would call on David Cameron to sever links with Michal Kaminski.”

In Paris, the European Jewish Congress says:

“I would call on the British Jewish community to contact David Cameron over this.”

And in London, Rabbi Barry Marcus of the Central Synagogue, tells Macintyre:

“Any politician of any political party should have the moral courage to clearly distance themselves from those who espouse and promote anti Semitism, racism or any attitude that fosters intolerance.”

The full article will appear in the latest edition of the New Statesman, which has an excellent new blog called Free Speech, will be available from tomorrow.