BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A Belgian carnival infamous for its blatant displays of Jewish caricatures has been removed from the United Nation’s cultural heritage list after complaints of anti-Semitism, the first cultural tradition stricken from the global inventory of cultural practices. The carnival in Aalst was taken off UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list during a meeting in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, on Friday. A document filed by UNESCO’s secretariat said the event goes against the organization’s principles, including a clause stating that cultural expressions included in the list should foster respect among communities. The festivity was criticized by anti-discrimination groups after this year’s edition included a float depicting Jews with sidecurls and oversize noses atop piles of money. “What we don’t want is the brand of UNESCO on a festival that for (some) may be humor, but for us is mockery of some communities.”

Source: New York Times December 14, 2019 12:22 UTC