Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht, on 3 September, defended his comments on Flemish radio station VRT,on 2 September, on the Israeli-Palestiniaan peace process, which prompted consternation from Jewish organisations. De Gucht expressed “regret that the comments I made have been interpreted in a sense I did not intend,” but was clear to underline, as was the European Commision, that he was speaking in a personal capacity that “it is not so easy to have, even with moderate Jews, a rational discussion about what is actually happening in the Middle East” and criticised the Jewish lobby in US politics. De Gucht assured the public that he believes “anti-Semitism has no place in today’s world”.