German Jews condemn vegetarian ad

Peta objects to the treatment of animals before slaughter

An animal rights group has launched a European ad campaign named "Holocaust on a plate", despite threats of legal action by German Jews.

Germany's Central Council of Jews had said it would ask prosecutors to charge People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with "inciting racial hatred".

The display, which began in Stuttgart on Thursday, shows images of factory animals next to photos from Nazi camps.

Peta officials say the exhibit is designed to raise public awareness.

The display, which has already been seen in the US, is set to tour 12 European cities over the few weeks.

The large square panels include pictures of battery hens packed into cages next to historic photos of emaciated Jewish inmates in Nazi concentration camp bunk beds.

The president of the Central Council of Jews, Paul Spiegel, has reportedly described the adverts as "a violation of human dignity, especially of the Holocaust victims".

A Stuttgart prosecutor was quoted in the Berliner Zeitung newspaper as saying Peta should think twice, because German law permits fines or even imprisonment for up to five years anyone found guilty of belittling or denying the Holocaust.