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| John Galliano |
(Scroll down for video) The Israeli government has decided to ban clothing designed by the anti-Semite John Galliano, according to press reports in Israel.
Israel’s National Broadcast Authority has banned its citizens who will be competing in the next Eurovision Song Contest from wearing any clothing made by John Galliano, who became famous for his anti-Semitic rant, two years ago.
Singer Maron Mazor was quoted in the Israeli press last week as saying that she approached several designers to help her dress for the competition, and Galliano accepted her offer.
Her announcement prompted Yoav Ginai, an executive of the Israeli state broadcasting authority, to rule that the singer would not be allowed to wear a dress designed by Galliano under any circumstances.
The letter referred to Galliano's drunken rant at a cafe in Paris two years ago, captured on video, in which he launched racist and anti-Semitic insults including saying "I love Hitler". He was fired from Christian Dior, left his namesake label and was convicted by a French court on allegations of anti-Semitic behavior.
Galliano has already said he is an alcoholic. He has been in recovery for the past two years and expressed regret for the pain caused to the Jewish community.
“Israel is doing the right thing. There are many designers to support and there is no need to hire an anti-Semitic designer to dress an Israeli singer on the international stage,” Anfrew Galvan, 49, of Brooklyn, New York told YourJewishNews.com after learning about the ban.
Ginai's letter drew an angry response from Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, a group based in New York that fights anti-Semitism. In an interview, Foxman said that he met Galliano five or six times in the past two years and believes that his apology is sincere.
In the video below you can see Moran Mazor singing for the Eurovision competition.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view