A well-known anti-Semitic comedian in Greece, Tzimis Panousis, will have the role of Trigaios, a peace maker in Ancient Athens, in the theatrical play ‘’Eirene’’ (Peace) by Aristophanes that will be staged in the ancient theater of Epidaurus.

Tzimis Panousis was quoted as saying last week in an interview to the daily “To Vima”, that “we the Greeks are the new Jews of the season. Then the Nazis choose the Jews, now the Neo-Nazis, the blue family of Shoible, have chosen us, the Greeks”.

Panousis used to call the Jews as “jewdeonazis” and in 2013 issued a poster to promote his performances, in which the Star of David was identified with the Nazi swastika.

Central avenues in Athens were full of these shameful posters and only after the intervention of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, the authorities removed them.

In reply to a question, if the National Theater of Greece agrees to such views that equate the Holocaust of 6.000.000 Jews with the situation of the Greeks today, Rena Kyprioti from the office of the Art Director said that the National Theater collaborates with more than 200 artists per year and therefore all their views are personal and “the Artistic Directorate does not comment on statements made by collaborating artists”.

In another question on how the National Theater of Greece will promise that the historic theater of Epidaurous will not become an arena of hate against Jews with Tzimis Panousis playing the first role, Kyprioti said that “We understand the sensitivity of the multi-suffered Jewish community, and of course the story is not deleted. Mr Panousis will serve his role in the theatrical play “Eirini” of Aristophanes and nobody should be afraid of anything”.

Minos Moisis, President of the Jewish Community of Athens, stated that what Panousis said in his interview “affects me both as a Jew and as a Greek.’’

‘’As a Jew, because once again the mass murder of the Holocaust is wiped out when it is compared to unrelated modern themes. As a Greek because he isolates me as a supposedly victim and target of a Europe in which I want to live. Obviously the National Theater has the right to make the choice. And my own right is not to go to the show.”

By Victor Eliezer