SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE - EUROPE
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"Annul Shell's dealings with Allseas - a company which apparently celebrates Nazi crimes by glorifying a perpetrator"
"It is interesting to note on the Shell portals' list of associated countries, the conspicuous absence of Israel"
Paris
In a letter to Royal Dutch Shell CEO, Ben van Beurdon, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels,noted, "Shell has contracted
Samuels expressed indignation that "this vessel, described as "the largest ship in the world," is named for the father of Allseas' owner, whowas a convicted Nazi war criminal."
Photo: The Pieter-Schelte entering the Port of Rotterdam. Inset: Pieter-Schelte Heerema in SS uniform
The letter explained, "Peter Schelte was jailed after the war for commandeering some 4,000 Dutch citizens for forced labour on the EasternFront. As a Dutch Waffen SS officer, he reportedly stated, 'the German race is a model.The Jewish race by comparison is parasitic. Therefore the Jewish question must beresolved in every Aryan country'."
Samuels pointed out that "the International Transport Workers Federation has demanded that Allseas rename the ship," adding, "Our Centre feelsthat the offence to the memory of Dutch victims of Nazi crimes and British casualties in liberating Europe from Hitler's tyranny demands more of Royal Dutch Shell."
The Centre urged, "In the spirit of the 70th anniversary of these events, we urge Shell to annul its dealings with Allseas - a company which,apparently, celebrates Nazi crimes by glorifying one of the perpetrators", continuing, "we are sure that Shell will wish to publicly disassociate itself from this travesty".
"On a related matter, it is interesting to note, on the Shell portals' list of countries with which it is associated, the conspicuous absenceof the State of Israel," concluded Samuels.
For further information please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels 00 33 6 09770158, join the Center on Facebook,www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in theUnited States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).