According to a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka reported to have said the following anti-Semitic remarks when talking about the past living conditions of a town in South Belarus, Babruysk, "It was scary to enter, it was a pigsty. That was mainly a Jewish town -- and you know how Jews treat the place where they are living."
Many Jewish Organizations as well as members of the International Community were quick to condemn these remarks. According to a representative of Belarus, the President's speech "alluded to the myth that I thought had died, at least among the progressive part of humanity," Ben-Ari said. "This myth sees the Jews as untidy and dirty people who smell bad -- and is undoubtedly anti-Semitic."
There have even been writers who came quick to defend of this man, talking about how he understands the Jewish people and that how Belarus has virtually no anti-Semitism and how they saved Jews during WWII (for which even saying "Thank you" is not enough to properly thank the country of Belarus). However, when a leader in any European country says such horrible things, in almost no context is such a comment allowed to be said.
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