In a letter to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece welcomed a decision to remove Independent Greeks (ANEL) MP Dimitris Kammenos from the Greek cabinet, following an outcry over a series of racist and homophobic tweets by the right-wing politician.

The board expressed its satisfaction at the decision to remove Kammenos from the post as deputy transport minister just hours after his appointment.

“The MP had expressed hideous and insulting views against the Jews, against civilisation and against the democratic feeling of the Greek society,” the council’s statement read. “Kammenos’ removal from the cabinet sent a clear message against racism and anti-Semitism.”

Panagiotis Sgouridis, a more moderate member of ANEL, has repleced Kammenos as deputy infrastructure, transport and networks minister.

Sgouridis was sworn in on Friday, along with a further two cabinet members who were unable to attend the original swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday.

ANEL, formed in 2012 by breakaway MPs from conservative party New Democracy (ND) who had become disgruntled with continuing austerity, reacted angrily on Thursday to criticism from ND over the Kammenos affair.

“Some of the ND officials who were criticising ANEL over Kammenos’ views had been leaders of pro-junta groupings or far-right, racist, xenophobic parties,” ANEL’s party secretary, Yiannis Moiras, said in a statement.

Kammenos, who claimed not to have written the controversial tweets, with his Twitter account believed to be managed by more than 15 aides, has since deactivated it, claiming it had been ‘hacked’.

Source: Kathimerini