The World Jewish Congress and the European Jewish Congress have condemned far right-wing French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen for again calling Nazi gas chambers "a detail of World War II history." In a statement, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder called Le Pen's speech on Wednesday to the European Parliament in Strasbourg a "belittling of the Holocaust" and urged the parliament to change its statutes to avoid giving doyen status to a man it accused of "revisionism and Holocaust denial."
"If re-elected in the June 2009 elections, Le Pen is likely to be the oldest EP member and would preside over the inaugural session of the newly elected assembly," Lauder warned. "It would be a shame if Le Pen were allowed to become the doyen of the new European Parliament and would send a bad signal to Europe and the world," Lauder said. "There is still ample time for the EP to change its statutes, (and) for political parties to ask a respectable elder statesman to stand in the election."
The European Jewish Congress reacted in similar fashion. "These remarks are even more contemptible because as the oldest member of the parliament, Le Pen will preside over the chamber's next inaugural session," it said in a statement issued in Paris. "Although some groups have called for this to be prevented, the EJC calls for Le Pen to be summarily banned from the parliament." EJC President Moshe Kantor said a message should be sent across Europe that hatred and Holocaust-denial would not be tolerated.
On Thursday, the leaders of the main parties in the European Parliament reached an agreement to change the rules and bar Le Pen from presiding over the opening session of the EP on 14 July 2009. The Liberals, initially opposed to changing the rules which allow the oldest member of the newly elected assembly to chair its first session, changed their position and backed a proposal by the Socialist Group. The Christian Democrats and the Greens also came out in favor. Under the new rules, the outgoing president or one of the outgoing vice-presidents would chair the opening session. The rule change still has to be adopted by the European Parliament at a meeting in April.