HSH Prince Hans-Adam II, the ruling Prince of Liechtenstein, has angered European Jews through comments he made during an interview published this past Monday in the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt.

The 64-year-old Prince stated that it was the tiny alpine nation’s banking secrecy laws which allowed “some Jews to buy their safety during the Holocaust by using money they had deposited in Liechtenstein or Switzerland.” He also claimed that the laws helped citizens of Europe’s former communist countries, and are still “saving the lives” of those currently living in Third-World countries run by “bloodthirsty dictators.”

The comments were escalated by the current feud between Liechtenstein and their northern neighbour, Germany. Germany has been pressuring the government of Liechtenstein to clamp down on their confidential banking laws that it claims allows wealthy Germans to avoid paying taxes. German authorities last year paid a former LGT Group employee (the Liechtenstein national bank owned by the Princely Family) to obtain the names of Germans who are believed to be tax cheats.

Hans-Adam also fired a shot at Germany themselves, stating: “Germany and many other countries have an unbelievable mess with their state finances…Germany should clean up its own act, and think about its past.”

The Prince’s comments were heavily criticised by the German Central Council of Jews; with their General Secretary Stephan Kramer telling Bild newspaper that “the comments are a mockery of the Holocaust and its survivors.” As Liechtenstein was a mainly neutral player in World War II, Kramer claims it is “historically incorrect” for the Prince’s portrayal of Liechtenstein as the “merciful helper of the Jews” to be voiced.

Kramer ended his interview by commenting on the Prince’s reigning status: “His Highness would be better off retiring.”

Information about the Liechtenstein Princely Family can be found in this forum.

JessRulz Liechtenstein Royals Finances, Germany, Hans-Adam II, Holocaust, LGT Group

 The 45 year old King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, has formally admitted the Holocaust. King Mohammed declared the Nazi genocide of the Jews “one of the most tragic chapters of modern history” a few days after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, denied it had ever occurred.

King Mohammed VI announced his support of the Aladdin Project, which is a Paris-based program run by the Foundation for the Memory of the Holocaust and is designed to educate the Muslim world about the genocide. The project involves translating key Holocaust texts such as ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ into Arabic and Farsi. The foundation’s director, Anne-Marie Revcolevschi, said King Mohammed VI’s speech was ”a very important political act.” She also said: “This is the first time an Arab head of state takes such a clear stand on the Holocaust.”

dazzling Moroccan Royals Holocaust, Mohammed VI