Anti-Semitic Vandalism in the Netherlands Rises 40%

Anti-Semitism has been on the rise in Europe, including anti-Semitic actions stemmed from certain governments. Will the Dutch address anti-Semitism more effectively than some of their European counterparts?

In the past year, the frequency of recorded anti-Semitic vandalism incidents rose by 40 percent in the Netherlands. The 28 cases of vandalism, which were less than a quarter of the overall number of anti-Semitic incidents, mean the Netherlands has reached its highest level of anti-Semitic vandalism since 2007. This data was published by the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI, which describes itself as an “independent Dutch foundation” which “stands up for the right to peace and security for Israel and the Jewish people, wherever in the world.” In their annual report on incidents of anti-Semitism in the Netherlands, CIDI recorded a small overall, but nonetheless troubling, rise of 113 incidents in 2017 compared to 109 in 2016.

This CIDI report comes at an especially crucial time as a public debate on anti-Semitism is being waged in the Netherlands.

In advance of the Dutch municipal elections taking place on March 21, almost every Dutch political party has signed a document titled the “Amsterdam Jewish Accord,” which affirms the right of security for Jews and holds that anti-Semitism is an issue that needs to be addressed. This document is largely in response to a handful of particularly salient anti-Semitic incidents that have occurred in the Netherlands in the past year.

Last December, a Palestinian man smashed the windows of a Kosher restaurant in Amsterdam and then stole an Israeli flag prior to being arrested. In the summer of 2017, a Jew of Syrian descent was assaulted at Amsterdam’s Dam Square for wearing a Star of David pendant. Less than one month later, two Israelis were stabbed in an elevator in an anti-Semitic attack.

While many in the Dutch government are taking steps to protect the Jewish community and combat anti-Semitism through the Amsterdam Jewish Accord, legislators in other European countries are drafting bills that are very troubling to the Jewish community.

In Poland, President Duda signed a bill into law criminalizing any reference to Polish complicity in Nazi war crimes against Jews during the Holocaust. Just a few weeks removed from this blow, the Polish legislature is expected to vote on a bill that will ban kosher and Halal slaughter.

In Demark, a widely-circulated petition banning non-medical circumcision looks like it will gather enough votes to force a parliamentary vote, which would also affect Jews and Muslims. Similarly, the Icelandic parliament is expected to vote on a bill which would also ban circumcision without a medical cause.

As these instances show, one must stay keenly aware of the threat of anti-Semitism. It’s rising frequency, combined with the increasing complacency of governments in addressing this issue, demand that citizens remain educated and involved. By remaining apprised of the issue and introducing the topic into public discourse, such as is occurring in Amsterdam, hopefully this rise in anti-Semitism will soon be mitigated.