Amsterdam Attacks: A Jewish Berliner’s Perspective

It has now been widely reported that prior to the Maccabi – Ajax soccer game in Amsterdam one week ago, Israeli soccer fans tore down and burned a Palestinian flag, while others attacked a taxi. Israeli fans also harassed the city’s Muslim population by “chanting in Hebrew “olé, olé, let the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] win, we will f**k the Arabs,” and declaring that there were “no children” left in Gaza.”

The full sequence of events is still unclear, but it is well documented that protesters on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict engaged in violence and harassment. Many Maccabi supporters sustained injuries and five people were hospitalized.

The aftermath of these events has seen the usual calls for more efforts to fight antisemitism and renewed vigilance to ensure the safety of the Jewish people. Times of Israel blogger Robert Singer called the attacks on Israelis in Amsterdam a wake up call to secure “the streets of Europe, where Jewish individuals are hunted and openly targeted for simply being Jewish.” Singer made no mention of the now verified violent acts by the Maccabi fans.

I live in Berlin where safety measures for the city’s Jewish population are  extensive. Guards stand watch on a daily basis at synagogues, Jewish bookstores, and cultural centers. Eight of Berlin’s 12 districts, along with the police and public prosecutor, have antisemitism officers. 

I feel safe and appreciate the security measures being taken while imagining what life would be like without them. Would the Jewish bookshop off the Kufürtstendamm, which is always empty when I visit, have more customers if there weren’t police officers guarding it?

The security measures that ensure our safety seem to also inhibit ordinary daily interactions between Jews and non-Jews. Delicate if not awkward situations often arise with people in mainstream German society who assume my family is Orthodox, kosher, and deeply devout, although we are a far cry from this stereotype.

My Jewish friends often grumble about the negative messaging that persistently emanates from Jewish leaders in our communities. A common sentiment expressed at a Limmud workshop I attended was that too much focus on antisemitism is counterproductive. The negativity keeps the public from learning more about positive aspects of Jewish life. Even during tense times when antisemitism is on the rise, Jews do not wish to only be seen as victims.

Jewish people lead normal lives as citizens, students, artists, teachers, and in every other sector of society throughout much of Europe. Most of us have not encountered antisemitic threats and insults. Whether secular or religious, gay or straight, identified with Israel or as part of the diaspora, whether connected to Jewish culture or Jewish ancestry, Jews are a diverse population woven into the fabric of European society.

Hooligans attacking Israelis on the streets of Amsterdam are a horrific reminder of the Nazi era. The attacks underscore the need for police on the streets and  education in the schools. But the present is not an exact mirror of the past. The violence was not orchestrated by the Dutch government and dozens of arrests have since been made. Jewish life is also thriving in Amsterdam, where relatives of ours belong to the 2,000 member Liberal Jewish Community. 

The everyday and less sensational ways that Jews are integrated into European societies do not make breaking news headlines. But positive stories and more diverse portrayals of European Jewish life are another way to combat antisemitism and erode stereotypes. The media, as well as Jewish and government leaders, should do more to spotlight the many ways that Jewish life in Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe is flourishing.