A delegation from the Belgian Jewish community met Monday with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jan Jambon whose recent statements regarding wartime collaboration sparked a controversy and a debate in the country.
The Forum of Jewish organizations, which groups Jewish associations active in Flanders, had said they wanted to meet the minister to get ‘'explanations’’ on his interview in which he claimed that ‘’collaboration with the German occupiers had been a mistake’’ but added that "people who collaborated with the Germans had their reasons. I have not lived at that time.’’
The minister's statements on a very sensitive issue in Belgium had provoked strong reactions.
Jan Jambon, who is a member of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party had regretted what he termed the "incorrect interpretation" of his words. "The collaboration was a mistake. I've always been clear about that. At no time did I supported collaboration in any manner whatsoever. Collaboration cannot be justified," he declared.
New Belgian Prime Minister, French-speaking Liberal Charles Michel, ruled out to drop Jambon from his government after receiving assurances from him that he condemned the collaboration.
Monday's meeting, attended by representatives of the Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium, the Forum and CCOJB, the umbrella group of Jewish organisations in Belgium, was termed as 'constructive'. ‘’It addressed the ‘’importance of security for all citizens, especially for the Jewish community and the need to approach globally security issues, anti-Semitism and all forms of racism.’