Brussels, 05/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - "Honestly, I do not understand this criticism", the spokesperson for the European Commission, Reijo Kemppinen, commented on Monday when questioned by reporters about criticism of the Commission in The Financial Times that day. The criticism was made by Edgar M. Bronfman, President of the World Jewish Congress, and Cobi Benatoff, President of the European Jewish Congress. The latter states that antisemitism may be expressed in two ways: through action and through no action. It is worth noting, the Congress said, that the Commission is guilty of both. It goes on to cite the example of the publication in November of a the results of a poll whereby a majority of Europeans see Israel as a threat to peace (see EUROPE of 5 November, p.4) and the fact that, the very same month, a report on antisemitism in the EU commissioned by the European Observatory of Vienna against racism and xenophobia was not published (see in particular EUROPE of 3 December, p.6). Both actions were "politically motivated", Messrs Bronfman and Benatoff claim. Mr Kemppinen answered saying that there is nothing to link the two matters. In that of the poll, the Commission never intended to "influence public opinion" and in that of the Vienna Observatory, "we never banned the publication of the report as we do not have the power to do. We did not take such a decision".
In response to questions, the spokesperson confirmed, moreover, that a seminar on anti-semitism (Ed.: called for by President Prodi on the occasion of the poll incident) will be held in February.