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Amsterdam - Gretta Duisenberg on Monday files a complaint with the Amsterdam Police against weekly magazine Elsevier and columnist Afshin Ellian for 'insult and libel'. In both a recent article in the weekly and in the Elsevier-weblog of the columnist she was called an anti-Semite. This per the pro-Palestine group 'Stop the Occupation, of which Duisenberg is the chairman

Duisenberg wishes that there should be an end to the slinging of mud in her direction.

Gretta Duisenberg often seemed to take delight in offending and insulting. Her notorious statement that she wished six million signatures for her petition against the occupation was widely seen as a sneering reference to the holocaust.

Even young event horizon agrees that FOS has its limits (but I would guess would also follow the same formula: support of people Israel oppresses = bad; blind support of Israel = virtuous).

"Cry Wolf" is indeed appropriate DD.

shafique wrote:Why would a Jewish person not be able to make a veiled reference to the suffering of the Holocaust to draw attention to the suffering being caused by Israel today. Surely FOS extends to her being able to state her views without a silly person accusing her of hating Jews (her own kind).

desertdudeshj wrote:I'm assuming with a name like Duisenberg she is

'I'm not an anti-Semite,'' she said. ''If I were that, I'd be against Jews in general and I'm not.

''I'm against Sharon and what his government is doing,'' she added, referring to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel. ''That's all.''

Ms. Duisenberg's opinions have provoked strong reactions in some quarters: a Dutch television personality draped an Israeli flag the size of a football field over the couple's home.

Earlier this week, Ms. Duisenberg generated controversy again when a few comments she made were perceived by some as supporting Palestinian suicide bombers, a charge she vigorously denied.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende called Ms. Duisenberg's comments a completely false signal, coming as they did so quickly after another suicide bombing attack.

But in her meeting with Mr. Arafat today, Ms. Duisenberg said she was the first to broach the subject of suicide bombers.

''I asked him,'' she said, ''how he felt about about suicide bombings. I condemned them and so did he.''

''We want peace for both countries,'' she added, referring to Israel and a possible future Palestinian state.