-Caveat Lector-
From
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/06/07/wduis07.xml&sS
heet=/news/2002/06/07/ixworld.html
}}}>Begin
Duisenberg's wife leaves town after angering Jews
By Joan Clements in Amsterdam and Philip Delves Broughton in Paris
(Filed: 07/06/2002)
The wife of the European Central Bank chief has left
Amsterdam for her holiday home in France after outraging her Jewish neighbours by
draping a Palestinian flag over her balcony and blaming Palestinian's woes on an
"elite club of rich American Jews".
Wim Duisenberg's wife, Gretta, told a Dutch newspaper that she had received a
death threat because of her support for the Palestinians.
But her departure has done little to mollify her Jewish neighbours on
Diepenbrockstraat, a well-to- do street not far from Anne Frank's house.
Hedda Rothstein, who lost many relatives during the Nazi purge of Amsterdam's
Jews in 1944, can see the Duisenbergs' balcony from her house.
"Mrs Duisenberg knows Dutch Jews suffered greatly," she said yesterday.
"Many of our relatives managed to survive the gas chambers and settled in Israel.
She must have known she was insulting Jews in general."
Another neighbour said: "Her husband may run the European Central Bank but he
obviously has no control over his wife. She should know better."
The fringe Federation of Dutch Jews filed a lawsuit this week accusing Mrs
Duisenberg of "racism and incitement to hate against Jews".
Ronny Naftaniel, director of the Amsterdam-based Centre for Information and
Documentation about Israel, called the law suit an "absolute non-starter" but said Mrs
Duisenberg "has her own responsibility".
"She is the wife of the ECB president and is often invited to dinners and drinks with
important people. I think that Alan Greenspan [head of the US Federal Reserve]
might not be happy if she calls people like him 'rich, powerful American Jews'."
A spokesman for Mr Duisenberg said: "We are aware of the situation but we see it as
a private affair which has nothing to do with the president's professional life."
Mrs Duisenberg is known in Holland as being outspoken, especially on behalf of the
charities she supports. She is a colourful foil to her sombre husband, whom she
married in 1978.
Her aggressive stance against Israel has left many Dutch debating the point at which
contempt for Israel becomes anti-Semitism.
Mrs Duisenberg's trouble began in April when she draped the Palestinian flag over
her balcony. Despite requests from neighbours she refused to take it down.
She told Dutch television: "My main feeling is that Europe and especially Holland are
terrible because we sit still and no one does anything and [Israel's prime minister,
Ariel] Sharon can get away with it and I don't like it." She added: "My husband has a
position but it is not my position. I am a free woman and I am allowed to do whatever
I like."
After more than a month, Mrs Duisenberg relented, allegedly under pressure from
her husband.
Last week, she said her husband had received threatening telephone calls from
America as a result of her support of Palestinians. Mr Duisenberg's office confirmed
that he had received at least one such call.
5 June 2002: Trichet given green light to head ECB
2 June 2002: Death threat to Duisenberg's wife over flag
External links
European Central Bank
World Jewish Congress
Electronic Intifada
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.
End<{{{
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