Greece: Antisemitic politician appointed as minister

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' choice of new health minister has come under criticism by the local Jewish community. Samaras last week appointed Makis Voridis, a man accused of promoting anti-Semitic views and who considers France’s Jean-Marie Le Pen a mentor and friend, as new minister for health. 

The 49-year-old Voridis ran for national elections in 2000 with Konstantinos Plevris, who later authored a 1,400-page book called 'Jews, the Whole Truth' in which he urged the Greeks to kill Jews. When Voridis’ election bid failed, in 2005 he merged his party into the LAOS party, whose leader, George Karatzaferis, once blamed the Jews for 9/11 during a speech in the Greek Parliament. Two years ago, Voridis was among several LAOS members who joined the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras after LAOS failed to qualify for Parliament amid the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.

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