UNESCO Removes Belgian Carnival from Heritage List for Mocking Jews

UNESCO Removes Belgian Carnival from Heritage List for Mocking Jews

• The Aalst Carnival of Belgium has been removed from UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, after the annual festival depicted a float with caricatures of Orthodox Jews with hooked noses and sitting atop bags of money.
• The body has termed the parade as racist and antisemitic representations and mockery towards some communities.
• Thus, for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage, the UN’s intergovernmental committee has withdrawn the carnival, which takes place each year in the Belgian city of Aalst. It was included in the UNESCO List in 2010.