"A town in Belgium is removing its place on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) cultural heritage list rather than getting rid of its anti-Semitic parade floats, reports Antwerp's HLN news outlet.
Aalst mayor Christoph D'Haese made the announcement on Sunday just a few weeks before UNESCO was expected to vote on it's removal...
During this year's Aalst Carnival, a float depicting puppets of hook-nosed Orthodox Jews with rats sitting on money bags was on display.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the head of the European Jewish Association, condemned D'Haese's abhorrent decision.
'Despite the widespread criticism, despite the clear grotesque anti-Semitic imagery, despite the opportunity to at least acknowledge the wrong and hurt caused, the Mayor of Aalst has consistently remained defiant and mocking,' he said.
'It is sad that when given the opportunity to put things right and return the carnival to universal values of decency, they instead prefer to put themselves outside of the pale. So be it.'..."