Antisemitic carnival float had puppets of smiling Jews, sacks of money and a rat

'It should be obvious to all that portraying such representations in the streets of Europe is absolutely unthinkable, 74 years after the Holocaust'

A carnival parade which featured Jewish caricatures standing amid piles of money has been compared to Nazi antisemitic propaganda and provoked fierce criticism in Belgium.

One float in the city of Aalst’s annual feast on Sunday was decorated with two huge figures of men with large sideburns, crooked noses and wearing shtreimels, a fur hat worn by some Orthodox Jews. One had a rat on his shoulder.

It was followed by several trucks on which dozens of dancing people wore similar outfits.

“The caricatures, like those of Der Stürmer, of Jews with a crooked nose and suitcases, are typical of the Nazism of 1939,” a spokesperson for Belgium’s Forum of Jewish Organisations said. ”This has no place in 2019, carnival or not. The Jewish community naturally accepts humour is very important in a society, but there are limits that cannot be exceeded.”

The float’s appearance coincides with what many perceive to be a rising tide of antisemitism sweeping across Europe. In France, several Jewish cemeteries have been desecrated in recent months, while Germany has recorded a 60 per cent rise in violent attacks on Jewish people. In the UK, the Labour Party has been repeatedly accused of taking a soft stance on the subject.

Talking about the parade, the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium called on organisers to condemn the float.

“At best it is a lack of discernment, especially given the rising context of antisemitism in our country and in the world,” a spokesperson said. “At worst, it is the reproduction of antisemitic caricatures worthy of the Nazi era.

“We will contact the organisers and the competent authorities to join our denunciation of these acts for the coming years.”

The European Commission, meanwhile – which is headquartered just 20 miles from Aalst in Brussels – called on the Belgian authorities to take action.

Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said: “It should be obvious to all that portraying such representations in the streets of Europe is absolutely unthinkable, 74 years after the Holocaust.

“It is the responsibility of the national authorities to take the appropriate measures on the basis of the applicable law.”

The float was created by the Vismooil’n group, which regularly participates in the Aalst carnival, Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports.

Group members told the outlet: “We came up with the idea to put Jews on our float. Not to make the faith ridiculous – carnival is simply a festival of caricature.

“We found it comical to have pink Jews in the procession with a safe to keep the money we saved. You can have a laugh with other religions too.”

The newspaper also quoted the town’s mayor, Christoph D’Haese, as saying the group “had no offensive intentions”.