The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intervened after an antisemitic placard was displayed at a Swiss train station.
The advert at the main train station in Zurich shows a girl, who symbolises Europe, kneeling to kiss the feet of Benjamin Netanyahu. The Ministry have requested that the poster is removed.
The image is accompanied with text which translates to “We are breaking the international law by stealing land, expulsion and apartheid but our joker is the conscience of Europe”.
Portraying European countries, amongst the most powerful and prosperous in the world, as bending the knee to Netanyahu rests on the idea that Israel has some undue influence in world affairs. Only by appealing to the idea that Israel is able to manipulate world governments can one suggest that Europe is behaving in such a way. Yet such an idea is inherently antisemitic, playing directly upon antisemitic conspiracy theories to portray Israel in a similar light. According to the definition of antisemitism, “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is antisemitic.
The poster also calls for sanctions on Israel.
It is unknown whether this is a one-off incident, or whether it is part of a concerted campaign, and if so, whether it has been explicitly allowed by the authorities.