The European Jewish Parliament (EJP) and The European Jewish Union (EJU) strongly condemned on Friday the incident on a Belgium train in which Jews were “asked to get off at Buchenwald.”

The announcement was made on the speaker during a train trip on the Brussels-Namur line. A railroad employee who heard the announcement ran to the room with the microphone, but found it empty. A short time later a second employee took to the sound system to apologize for the “unsuccessful joke.”

The Belgian national railroad, SNCB, denounced the incident and said the employee has been found and fired.

Tomer Orni, EJU CEO and UK MEJP, said in a statement on Friday, “Two weeks ago we marched in Auschwitz where thousands of Jews were murdered on a daily basis. We will NEVER accept such remarks, not in Europe nor anywhere else.”

The statement added, “In view of the seriousness of such a statement made in public, which trivializes anti-Semitism, and the irreparable damage to the image of SNCB, EJP and EJU invite the instigation of legal proceedings against the offending party and call the Belgian government to condemn this act and fight against the rising anti- Semitism in the country.”

European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor recently warned that anti-Israel sentiment in Europe could lead to a “tsunami of hate” being unleashed against European Jews. EJP has reported a “surge in anti-Semitism” as well.

A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL) poll found “disturbingly high” levels of anti-Semitism among European respondents. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 05/04/12)