Ilan Laufer “profoundly saddened” by wave of negative reactions stirred by his statements made on Tuesday. Dragnea: There was a security incident. I don’t admit statements in the press room without a decision

Ilan Laufer has stated that he is “profoundly saddened” by the reactions to him and that religion must not justify the anti-Semitic reactions targeting him. The statement comes against the backdrop in which on Tuesday he accused President Klaus Iohannis of anti-Semitism for refusing to appoint him as Development Minister. “I am profoundly saddened by the wave of reactions. I am Romanian, and I feel Romanian. In everything I have done I have had one belief: Romania is my Country and I fight for its values and for national unity. Religion must not be a reason that would justify the anti-Semitic reactions to me,” Ilan Laufer wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, the posting being accompanied by screenshots of private messages he received on the social network. PSD President Liviu Dragnea and Premier Viorica Dancila distanced themselves from Laufer’s statements. At the same time, President Klaus Iohannis also reacted to Ilan Laufer’s statements on Wednesday, saying that Laufer has failed the test of maturity, preferring to play the role of loudspeaker of the toxic Social Democratic propaganda, adding that mentions of anti-Semitism and Nazism in the political dispute are irresponsible. Ilan Laufer, whose nomination as Development Minister was refused by the President, stated on Tuesday at the PSD headquarters that the Head of State contributed to the “sabotaging” of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Israeli Governments and that he wants “ties only with Berlin.” He added that Iohannis wants to block Romania’s relations with the U.S. and Israel. Likewise, Laufer stated that President Klaus Iohannis’s refusal to appoint him as Development Minister is an anti-Semitic act, adding that he will lodge a complaint with the CNCD against him.   Dragnea: There was a security incident. I don’t admit statements in the press room without a decision   Social Democratic Party (PSD) President Liviu Dragnea stated on Wednesday, at the Palace of Parliament, that he did not know about the press conference that Ilan Laufer held at the party headquarters and added that Laufer’s statements do not represent the party’s point of view. “These are statements I distance myself from. Far too exalted I believe, I don’t know if I found the proper wording, but these aren’t statements that commit the PSD,” PSD leader Liviu Dragnea said, referring to Ilan Laufer’s statements. Asked how did Laufer manage to hold a press conference at the PSD’s headquarters if that is the case, Dragnea said he did not know about it. “No, within the National Standing Bureau (BPN) we had a discussion in which we discussed the possibility that Mr Ilan would issue a press release, which didn’t have to receive an approval from someone specifically. I didn’t know. (…) I’ve had a discussion with the Secretary General that I don’t admit someone going to the press conference room without a prior decision in this sense,” the PSD leader pointed out. Dragnea added that Ilan Laufer “is not a felon” but a well-trained man who made some statements “that do not represent PSD’s point of view.” The PSD leader also pointed out that on Tuesday evening there was “a security incident” at the PSD headquarters. Dragnea made the statement against the backdrop in which journalists were not allowed inside the building during PSD’s BPN meeting on Tuesday, at 5 p.m., and they consequently spent more than three hours waiting outside, in temperatures of around 1-2 degrees Celsius. “I actually told some of your colleagues that we weren’t planning on making statements last evening because there were no final decisions, the final decisions were taken today. I’m sorry you stood in the cold, but it was a security incident so to say, it won’t happen again,” Dragnea said.   Basescu on PSD’s reaction to Laufer’s outburst: They “took advantage of his youth”. Stefanescu admired the young ex-minister’s speech   Ex-President Traian Basescu stated on Wednesday that all Social Democrats have distanced themselves from Ilan Laufer’s statements after they “took advantage of his youth” and egged him on to say all the “nonsense” that PSD has been saying over the years. “What’s certain is that they were all at the headquarters at the time, and Codrin Stefanescu went out and admired the young ex-Minister Ilan Laufer’s extraordinary speech. Of course, today (Wednesday – editor’s note), after seeing what piece of folly it was, they all distance themselves from Laufer, however they took advantage of his youth, of his lack of experience, and they pushed him into saying all the nonsense that they themselves have been saying over the years. Recall the German Forum and the embassy of Israel and all that; it’s a list of PSD shouts that they put in front of this child and he – being more reckless – recited them,” Traian Basescu stated during a phone interview with B1TV on Wednesday evening. The Popular Movement Party (PMP) Senator added that he does not seek excuses for Ilan Laufer, who accused Klaus Iohannis of anti-Semitism, but it is visible that he was told by PSD “politruks” to read that message. “Now, I’m not excusing Laufer, but the cowardice of these people who together with Laufer made the statement is impressive. Watch Laufer. At various symposia he speaks freely. Last evening, he read. He was reading messages that weren’t his but the PSD’s politruks had told him to read them. They also threw him [overboard]. Today (Wednesday – editor’s note) they all distanced themselves from him,” Basescu explained. He also said he hopes that Laufer will not persevere in his mistake and would not continue to perceive himself as being wronged for being a Jew. “Categorically it was a big mistake that young Laufer made and I wouldn’t want him to persevere in this mistake, to consider himself wronged because he is a Jew. I don’t suspect him of not being attached to the country, because based on the information I have he is a guy on his own two feet, he developed his own businesses, he has pretty good connections everywhere....

The post Ilan Laufer “profoundly saddened” by wave of negative reactions stirred by his statements made on Tuesday. Dragnea: There was a security incident. I don’t admit statements in the press room without a decision appeared first on Nine O' Clock.