23/02/2009

'Today shoes, tomorrow guns,' says IDF officer heckled in Holland

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1066383.html

In another copycat shoe-throwing incident against Israelis in Europe, Amsterdam police on Sunday arrested three people who hurled footwear at an Israeli army officer while he was lecturing at a hotel in the Dutch capital.

"Today it's shoes, tomorrow knives and then guns," the officer, Captain (res.) Ron Edelheid, told Haaretz.

"I was on a private visit to see my mother," he said. "As an IDF Spokesperson reservist I volunteered to speak before the Dutch Jewish community about Operation Cast Lead."

Dutch-born Adelheit, who immigrated to Israel many years ago, said he had filed a criminal complaint against the suspected assailants - two men and a woman - whom police arrested at the hotel.

"Fifty demonstrators waited for me outside the Apollo Hotel, chanting nasty slogans," he said. "Three entered the room, shouting and throwing four shoes at my direction." He said the hecklers were "typically Dutch-looking."

Adelheit said he believed the protesters learned of the event from Jewish websites. He added the event was originally scheduled to take place at the College Hotel, until management canceled "because of threats."

Dr. Ronny Naftaniel, who heads the Hague-based pro-Zionist CIDI organization, said the incident was aimed against freedom of expression and "an importation of an element very foreign to Dutch culture."

Noting Adelheit was scheduled to speak tomorrow in Antwerp, one Dutch Jewish community leader joked that "in Amsterdam they threw left shoes. Maybe in Antwerp Adelheit will find the right ones to go along with them."

Israel's ambassador to Sweden was targeted this month by shoe-throwing protesters while speaking at Stockholm University.

The protestors were apparently imitating an Iraqi who targeted former U.S. President George Bush in December. Since then, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was also targeted with a shoe in Britain.