Loach rejects anti-semitism claims

The Brussels ULB university honoured British director Ken Loach with a special doctorate despite veiled criticism from Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel and outspoken rebukes from Jewish organisations about anti-semitism allegations.

Loach, who is known for his strong defence of the Pales- tine cause, is often critical of the Israeli government. But he denied again yesterday that he is anti-semitic.

“Depicting me as anti-semitic simply because I am adding my voice to those who denounce the plight of the Palestinians is grotesque,” Loach said in a statement.

Mr Michel, a former ULB student, said in the Brussels Grand Synagogue on Wednesday night that “anti-semitism cannot be tolerated, whatever its form. That also goes for my alma mater”.

He did not explicitly name Loach as the target of his criticism but his university honour had been prominent in the Belgian media for days.

The ULB said it wanted to laud the director for his “militant” movies about social conflicts and the fight of workers and immigrants to improve their lot.