Belgian Terror Hotline Operator Fired for ‘Only Recognizing Palestine’

Local Editor

An operator working on Belgium's federal hotline established after the Brussels terrorist attacks told a Jewish caller that the "Israeli" entity does not exist and is in fact called Palestine.

According to a transcript of the exchange posted on the website of Joods Actueel, a Belgian Jewish monthly, a representative with the Jewish Coordination Committee was trying to secure permits to repatriate Jews wounded in attacks back to the "Israeli" entity.

The call to the Belgian Interior Ministry's hotline, which came in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on Brussels airport, was recorded and the audio file transcribed.

The operator responds to the statement that the two Jews injured in the attack were ready to be transported to "Israel" and that they needed a special permit from the police to get them released from the hospital by saying: "Let me check. They need to go to Palestine.."

The Jewish man responded: "Not Palestine, "Israel"." The operator continued to say that "Israel" did not exist. "Yes, but it was Palestine before, of course. It's called Palestine, sir."

The Jewish man challenged the operator saying, "You don't recognize "Israel", correct? Only Palestine?"

The operator replied: "I know the Jews went to live there, that Palestine received them and that there is a war between "Israel" and Palestine, of course; and the occupation... that's what's always on the news."

A spokesperson for the crisis center told Joods Actueel that it deeply deplores the "isolated case" and will take "necessary actions" against the staffer in question, which the center said was not a civil servant, but a call center employee.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team