ABOUT A CERTAIN CARNAVAL IN BELGIUM

There is unease regarding yet gain the Aalst (Belgium)  Carnaval. This unremarkable town is in the spotlight for what is considered to be a provocative anti-Jewish float in its carnaval parade.

Many consider that in this type of event, taboos or better judgement don't have sway over a radical iconoclastic tradition which does not spare anybody or anything. 

Humor is a dangerous weapon. The Jewish angle should be handled with a degree of caution. Humor and satire (the realm of mostly Jewish comedians, by the way) are legitimate. However, the brutal caricature which will be part of the cortege is inappropriate.  Willingly forcing the doors of collective memory is an unnecessary outrage.  We can still laugh at the antics of Fiddler on the Roof, but we should also rescue him from falling.

There is something rotten in Aalst.