by Sol Rieger, Jewish Political News and Updates
Greek’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has hired a man accused of promoting anti-Semitic views, to join his cabinet as health minister, despite pleas of the local Jewish community.
Makis Voridis, a man who considers France’s Jean-Marie Le Pen a mentor and friend, has been hired by the PM as part of a re-shuffle intended to shore up support for his insecure government. Voridis will be sworn in on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old Voridis ran for national elections in 2000 with Konstantinos Plevris, who later authored a 1,400-page book called “Jews, the Whole Truth,” in which he urged the Greeks to kill Jews.
When Voridis’ election bid failed, in 2005 he merged his party into the LAOS party, whose leader, George Karatzaferis, once blamed the Jews for 9/11 during a speech in the Greek Parliament.
PM Samaras has actually been praised by international Jewish leaders in the past for his fight against the popular Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which burst onto the political scene in 2012 and grabbed 18 seats in the Greek Parliament.
He invited the leadership of the ADL to discuss the findings in their international survey that saw Greece as the most grievous offender in Western Europe. According to the survey, 69 percent of Greeks answered “probably” or “definitely” true to six or more of 11 negative stereotypes about Jews.
Speaking to Jewish leaders in a Synagogue last March, the prime minister promised to introduce a law to prevent Holocaust-denying parties from running for parliament.
Greek Jews rap appointment of ultranationalist as health minister
Times of Israel
Makis Voridis reportedly founded a student group whose members saluted each other with ‘Heil Hitler’
ATHENS, Greece — Makis Voridis, a longtime member of ultranationalist parties, was appointed health minister in Greece.
Monday’s appointment, part of a widespread government reshuffle, was met with disappointment by members of the Greek Jewish community.
“No Jewish person can be happy about the appointment of a man who was, until two years ago, a head of the extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic LAOS party,” said Victor Eliezer, the secretary general of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.
Voridis, 49, after being elected to the European Parliament, formed an alliance with the head of France’s National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was a guest at his wedding. He then merged his party with LAOS, a populist, nationalistic party founded by a politician known for his anti-Semitic views, George Karatzaferis.
Two years ago, Voridis was among several LAOS members who joined the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras after LAOS failed to qualify for Parliament amid the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party. Samaras has been accused of pandering to the far right in a bid to stem the loss of votes to Golden Dawn, which emerged as the third-largest party in Greece.
Samaras maintains that those who joined New Democracy have committed to abide by party policy, which condemns anti-Semitism and racism.
Voridis has since written to the Jewish community, expressing his opposition to Holocaust denial and his commitment to “putting an end to anti-Semitic, racist prejudice which is an outright violation of human dignity.”
Eliezer called it a “step in the right direction,” but said the Jewish community would like to see him and the other former LAOS members completely renounce their past views.
In the reshuffle, Voridis replaces another former LAOS member, Adonis Georgiadis.
Voridis had risen to prominence as the head of a student group at Athens University that fellow students recount as painting swastikas on the walls and greeting each other with “Heil Hitler.”
Greek Jews Slam Appointment of Far Right Health Minister
Makis Voridis Belonged to Anti-Semitic Party
Makis Voridis, a longtime member of ultranationalist parties, was appointed health minister in Greece.
Monday’s appointment, part of a widespread government reshuffle, was met with disappointment by members of the Greek Jewish community.
“No Jewish person can be happy about the appointment of a man who was, until two years ago, a head of the extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic LAOS party,” said Victor Eliezer, the secretary general of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.
Voridis, 49, after being elected to the European Parliament, formed an alliance with the head of France’s National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was a guest at his wedding. He then merged his party with LAOS, a populist, nationalistic party founded by a politician known for his anti-Semitic views, George Karatzaferis.
Two years ago, Voridis was among several LAOS members who joined the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras after LAOS failed to qualify for Parliament amid the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party. Samaras has been accused of pandering to the far right in a bid to stem the loss of votes to Golden Dawn, which emerged as the third-largest party in Greece.
Samaras maintains that those who joined New Democracy have committed to abide by party policy, which condemns anti-Semitism and racism.
Voridis has since written to the Jewish community, expressing his opposition to Holocaust denial and his commitment to “putting an end to anti-Semitic, racist prejudice which is an outright violation of human dignity.”
Eliezer called it a “step in the right direction,” but said the Jewish community would like to see him and the other former LAOS members completely renounce their past views. In the reshuffle, Voridis replaces another former LAOS member, Adonis Georgiadis.
Voridis had risen to prominence as the head of a student group at Athens University that fellow students recount as painting swastikas on the walls and greeting each other with “Heil Hitler.”
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