Unesco pulls Belgian carnival from heritage list over anti-Semitism charges

Unesco on Friday withdrew an annual carnival in the Belgian city of Aalst from its heritage list over persistent charges of anti-Semitism. In an unprecedented move, Unesco's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage said it was withdrawing the carnival "over recurring repetition of racist and anti-Semitic representations" at the event. The carnival of Aalst, in the Belgian Dutch speaking region of Flanders, was initially added to Unesco's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2010. But the presence in the parade of a float caricaturing Orthodox Jews with hooked noses and sitting on gold bags outraged Belgium's 40,000-strong Jewish community.  Yohan Benizri, vice president of the World Jewish Congress, welcomed Friday's decision but said it was "unfortunately not the end of the story. We deplore, but today we also fear, the disastrous consequences of the carnival, whether or not it is recognized by Unesco." "The massive spread, directly or indirectly, of extremely charged anti-Semitic prejudices - crooked nose, control of the economy and banks - is not what we want for our children in the context of a family event.  "This...