Netherlands: Artist upset about 'punitive Jewish' insult

This is a double story.  Mart Smeets, a Dutch TV personality, is accused of insulting Joop Rubens, a Jewish artist.  But in response he says that he's often insulted with antisemitic slurs.

Mart Smeets appeared on a reality show last week called 'Sterren op het Doek'  (Stars on Canvas).  In the show artists draw a famous personality, after which they're interviewed.  Smeets was unhappy with the way he was portrayed by Joop Rubens and commented that "It's a punitive Amselvennse Jewish way of looking at someone".

Rubens says he had hoped the statement will be deleted from the aired version of the show, but it wasn't.

After being roundly criticized by Jewish organizations, Smeets replied that he was sorry he had referred to Rubens' Jewish origins.  Smeets said that Rubens had tried to get into his head, and he had seen that as confrontational.  "I made that statement during shooting in September. In June I told Rubens that I was often called 'f*cking Jew', though I'm not Jewish."  Rubens had replied that he's a Jewish artist from Amstelveen.  "You should see my offending text in this context."

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