Belgian senator resigns over anti-Semitic song
Leader of Belgium's far-right National Front party, Michel Delacroix, resigns a few hours after TV station shows him singing about Jewish woman in Dachau
A far-right senator in Belgium has stepped down as his party's leader after a video of him singing a song poking fun at the Holocaust was broadcast on national television.
The Senate called the actions by National Front senator Michel Delacroix "beyond the pale," and began an investigation.
In a video on public RTBF television's midday news Thursday, Delacroix was seen singing a song to the tune of, "l'eau vive" by Jewish singer Guy Beart, but with the lyrics changed to tell the story of a Jewish woman sent to the gas chamber in Dachau.
"Mr Delacroix, perfectly aware of what his actions would mean for him, has decided to resign from his post as president of the National Front," the party said in a statement, underlining that his act was, "inadmissible."
In addition, the broadcast brought a swift reaction from the main Belgian organization policing the fight against discrimination, which accused him of, "Holocaust denial" and, "inciting racial hatred."
'I can't remember having sung it'
The Brussels prosecutor's office also opened an investigation and will consider whether or not to remove Delacroix's parliamentary immunity. Denying the Holocaust is a crime in Belgium and anti-racism infractions could lead to hefty fines and even prison terms.
Contacted by AFP, Delacroix said: "I can't remember having sung it, even if I have known the words for years."
The blind senator also raised some questions about whether the tape was authentic, although he thought it was probably filmed in Spain eight years ago.
"I can immediately see the bad taste in it, but even if there is something real in it, (the performance) was in no way public," he said.
Delacroix also raised the possibility that it was made public as an act of revenge; saying that he thought the tape might have been in a file for his divorce which he said, "Finished badly for my ex-wife a few months ago."
He suggested that a former member of the National Front who was recently ejected from the party might have been involved as well.
Delacroix is the only representative of National Front Party in the 71-seat Senate.
The Associated Press and AFP contributed to the report
