[Idiotic] Mayor of Leuven Refuses to Meet Netanyahu

Mayor of Leuven Refuses to Meet Netanyahu
From the desk of Luc Van Braekel on Tue, 2006-09-12 17:53

Left: Tobback, right: NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu, Israel's former and
probably future prime minister, arrived in Belgium last Thursday for a
private visit. On his way back from the United States, where he talked with
Dick Cheney and speeched at New York University, Netanyahu stayed at the
castle of the Merode family in Westerlo, 50 kilometers outside Brussels. On
Saturday and Sunday he visited the Flemish medieval cities of Leuven, Ghent
and Brugge (Bruges).

Kristof Debecker, a reporter of the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, asked the
mayor of Leuven if he had considered an official welcome for Netanyahu.
Here's what mayor Louis Tobback, a socialist, replied:

Personally, I'm not thrilled at all by this Netanyahu. Receiving him at the
city hall is out of the question. Even if he would offer me a glass of beer
at a Leuven terrace cafe, I would diplomatically but firmly refuse.
Netanyahu is a reactionary right winger. [To his secretary:] When the
request comes in, tell him that Tobback's schedule is fully booked for the
rest of the week.
The mayor of Leuven is notorious for his provocative language. In 1985
Tobback was the leader of the opposition against the deployment of 48
medium-range cruise missiles in Belgium. A few years later he threatened to
throw himself on the tracks of the TGV (high speed train) if its trajectory
would pass near a highway in Leuven. The TGV track was built, but Tobback
did not move.

--
THROW A PUNCH AT NASRALLAH:
http://tapuz.co.il/North/Game.asp

DEAR LEADER BOLUDOVSKY schreef:

> A few years later he [Tobback] threatened to
> throw himself on the tracks of the TGV (high speed train) if its trajectory
> would pass near a highway in Leuven. The TGV track was built, but Tobback
> did not move.

Incorrect. The TGV was *not* built near the highway (bypassing
Louvain/Leuven), but through the Leuven railway station. Tobback didn't
have to "move", he won the battle for the TGV trajectory along the
existing tracks. Better get your facts right.

yrs, H.M.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ps.com...
>
> Incorrect. The TGV was *not* built near the highway (bypassing
> Louvain/Leuven), but through the Leuven railway station. Tobback didn't
> have to "move", he won the battle for the TGV trajectory along the
> existing tracks. Better get your facts right.
>

Exactly. This old crocodile won more battles: he saved the SP from complete
disaster (cfr. his famous Agusta-speech: 'the end of a generation'). And
he's still going strong.

Iska

Op Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:11:57 -0700, schreef visualhugo:

> Incorrect. The TGV was *not* built near the highway (bypassing
> Louvain/Leuven), but through the Leuven railway station. Tobback didn't
> have to "move", he won the battle for the TGV trajectory along the
> existing tracks. Better get your facts right.
>

Exactly.

By the way, why would the mayor of any belgian city meet Mr. Netanyahu, a
private Israeli citizen with, at the moment no official function, if he
just does not like the person and what he stands for.

--
Phoenos Kandar -
Niemand is ooit al failliet gegaan door het onderschatten van de intelligentie
van de Belang kiezer.

Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.
(Frank Leahy)

Phoenos Kandar schreef:

> By the way, why would the mayor of any belgian city meet Mr. Netanyahu, a
> private Israeli citizen with, at the moment no official function, if he
> just does not like the person and what he stands for.

Correct. There is no rule or custom whatsoever that states that an
official should meet a private citizen on an official occasion. If it
happens, it's mostly based on friendship or mutual respect or
ideological kinship. Mr. Tobback is a left-winger; I can hardly imagine
he fancies Mr. Netanyahu's ideas. It would be improper anyways, even if
personal friends, to see Mr. Netanyahu in town hall.

If Mayor Tobback refused to have a beer with Mr. Netanyahu, that's his
privilege. He did it in a polite, appropriate and diplomatic way,
mentioning his schedule. He suddenly could have catched a diplomatic
"illness" but that would be too conspicuous when Tobback is running
around town all the time just 3 weeks before the elections.

yrs, H.M.

[email protected] schreef:
>
> If Mayor Tobback refused to have a beer with Mr. Netanyahu, that's his
> privilege. He did it in a polite, appropriate and diplomatic way,
> mentioning his schedule. He suddenly could have catched a diplomatic
> "illness" but that would be too conspicuous when Tobback is running
> around town all the time just 3 weeks before the elections.
>
> yrs, H.M.

Het is onmogelijk, L. Tobback onsympathiek te vinden.