The Blogs: From Sympathy to Scorn: The Dutch Shift on Israel

Why Netherland’s Pro-Israel Image Masks Rising Anti-Israel Sentiment

For decades, Israel believed that the Netherlands was a steadfast supporter. In political statements, in diplomacy, and in public perception, the Netherlands has often been seen, by Israelis and others, as a friendly country towards Israel. But recent data and events suggest a more complicated reality: since October 7, 2023, after the Hamas attack and the subsequent war, the Netherlands has seen a sharp increase in anti-Israel public sentiment, antisemitic incidents, and tensions that raise questions about how solid its “pro-Israel” identity really is. Below I explore why Israel saw the Netherlands as pro-Israel, what the numbers tell us instead, what changed around Oct 7, 2023, why Dutch people may be especially vulnerable to slipping into anti-Israel or even antisemitic attitudes, and what the recent events like the Jews-hunt after the Maccabi Ajax game reveal about the current state.

Why Israel believed the Netherlands was Pro-Israel

There are several reasons why, historically, Israel and many in Israel believed the Netherlands was a reliably pro-Israel country:

Post-WWII moral consciousness and guilt: The Netherlands has a strong historical memory of WWII, of the Holocaust, of the Nazi occupation, and of Dutch collusion in certain events. This tends to create a national identity that condemns antisemitism and supports Jewish concerns.
Diplomatic alignments and trade: The Netherlands is a EU country, with often moderate foreign policy, with many Dutch politicians and civil society groups that express support for Israel’s security, especially in the face of terror attacks. There has also been cultural, academic and economic cooperation.
Jewish community visibility and activism: Though small, the Jewish communities in the Netherlands have been active and the country has institutions and watchdogs (like CIDI, etc.) that monitor antisemitism, raising alarms when things go wrong. This contributes to the impression that both government and public opinion tend to defend Jewish rights and Israel.
Media and educational framing: Generally, Dutch public institutions and educational curricula have treated the Holocaust seriously; Dutch media have historically given voice to Jewish perspectives and Israeli perspectives. That contributes to the image of sympathy.
Past voting behavior and foreign policy: The Netherlands in many EU bodies has often supported Israel, although with caveats, e.g. criticism of settlements, etc. For many in Israel, this “on balance” support is enough to label the Netherlands as “pro-Israel.”

So, while “pro-Israel” in practice always had limits (criticism of Israeli policy, concern for Palestinians), the overall tone fitting with many Israelis’ expectations was that of a friendly or sympathetic country.

What the numbers & incidents show instead

Since October 7, 2023, the evidence suggests a shift or at least an exposure of underlying tensions that had not been so visible. Key pieces of evidence:

Massive surge in antisemitic incidents: The Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), a Dutch Jewish watchdog, reported an ~818% increase in antisemitic incidents compared to the monthly average over the past three years.
Record high number of incidents overall: In 2024, CIDI recorded 421 incidents, which was the highest annual number since it began tracking in its current form, much higher than the 138 average for years before 2023.
Public protests increasingly anti-Israel: Large scale demonstrations (e.g. the “Red Line” march in Amsterdam with >250,000 people) demanding the Dutch government adopt a tougher stance toward Israel’s operations.
Violent incidents: After the Ajax vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv match in November 2024, Israeli soccer fans were physically attacked; youth on scooters chased Israeli fans, there was vandalism, violence, injuries. Authorities characterized these attacks in explicitly antisemitic terms, and arrests were made.
Vandalism and threats to pro-Israel organizations: For example, the Christian group “Christians for Israel” in the town of Nijkerk had their office vandalized with slogans accusing them of “supporting genocide” etc.

These data and events point to a growing divergence between what many in Israel believed about the Netherlands (pro-Israel, safe, moral) and the reality of Dutch public opinion and behavior (increasingly critical of Israel & in some cases hostile or even violent).

Why since October 7 the Netherlands appears more anti-Israel

October 7, 2023 matters: the Hamas attack and the subsequent war triggered a wider conflict, media attention, social media activism, and emotional responses worldwide. In the Netherlands several forces combined:

Heightened polarization: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been polarizing, but the scale and brutality of events in October 2023 pushed many people to take sides more openly. What was previously “criticism of policy” becomes “us vs. them.”
International media, social media amplification: Images, videos, stories from Gaza, from Israel, from refugee camps, from civilian suffering, all spread rapidly. There is strong emotional pull, and in an interconnected society, that breeds strong solidarity movements, protests, but also backlash.
Domestic demographics & identity politics: People with roots in Muslim majority countries, second-generation immigrants, or others with personal or familial ties to Palestine may feel particularly connected or outraged. Also, Dutch society has growing debates about immigration, identity, free speech, racism, and how to balance solidarity with minority groups vs. maintaining communal harmony.
Criticism of Israeli government actions: Much of the anti-Israel sentiment comes from critique of specific policies (e.g. settlement expansion, military operations in Gaza, treatment of Palestinians). These criticisms, when expressed strongly (or when protests turn violent or rhetoric becomes incendiary), blur into general anti-Israel or antisemitic expression.
Slippery slope from criticism to hate: In some situations, criticism becomes demonizing: blaming all Jews, using slurs, violence. These incidents increase fear and are what show the shift from “just politics” to “antisemitism.”
Government and institutional responses: Some Dutch institutions (universities, local governments) have struggled with how to respond. Bans on protests, debates about free speech, etc., become flashpoints. If people feel authorities are siding (explicitly or implicitly) with pro-Palestinian narratives, or not defending Jewish safety strongly, that may contribute to belief that the country has become anti-Israel.

The “Jew-hunt” after the Ajax-Maccabi game & vicious protests: This specific incident underscores many of the above trends and plays a symbolic role:

After the match in November 2024 between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, tensions spilled over into violence. Israeli fans were physically attacked, chased, assaulted. Youths rode scooters, attacked with objects. Authorities described some behavior as systematic targeting.
The term “Jew-hunt” was used by political leaders, media, and Jewish organizations, because it looked like people were looking for Jews/Israelis to attack, not just reacting to the match. This isn’t just a protest against Israeli policy but it was a violent manifestation of antisemitic sentiment.
The authorities’ response, in terms of arrests, emergency bans on protests, condemnation, was strong in rhetoric but criticized by some for not being sufficient or timely. This kind of event becomes a kind of watershed moment, showing to many in Israel and the Jewish diaspora that the social contract in the Netherlands (you are safe, society supports you) may be fraying.

Why Dutch people may be especially vulnerable to anti-Israel / antisemitic attitudes

There are structural, historical, and social reasons:

History with colonialism and identity crisis: The Netherlands has colonial history (Indonesia, Suriname, the Caribbean), immigration from former colonies and conflict zones. There are large immigrant communities, including Muslim communities with close ties to the Middle East. Issues of integration, identity, discrimination, Islamophobia and racism more broadly are part of social debate. These dynamics give fertile ground for emotional solidarity with Palestinians, which can sometimes slip into hostility toward Jews or Israel.
Strong culture of free speech & protest: The Netherlands values protest, free speech, and sometimes radical critique. While this is good, it also means controversial or extreme positions are more visible, more tolerated before condemnation. Some people believe that strong criticism of Israel is protected speech; sometimes the line between legitimate criticism and hateful stereotyping gets blurred in public discourse.
Low Jewish population, high visibility & vulnerability: The Jewish population is small (less than 1% in many cities). That means when Jews are targeted, the incidents stand out, and their vulnerability is high. Also, many Dutch Jews report that they are very visible in public or targeted on identity (wearing kippah, etc.).
Polarization & media framing: Media often frame conflicts in binary terms, which can inflame emotions. Social media spreads hateful rhetoric. The Dutch media landscape has more voices than ever, including radical ones. When international crises erupt, local tensions follow, and local grievances (immigration, racism) get tied into international conflict narratives.
Moral legacy & diaspora expectations: Because the Netherlands has a strong moral legacy from WWII, many Dutch people assume that being “anti-antisemitic” is in their DNA. When Israel is criticized, they see it as justice. But when protests are fierce, or rhetoric crosses the line, some feel defensive and either ignore or downplay antisemitism. Meanwhile, some in Israel see that moral legacy and perceive any criticism as betrayal. That mismatch leads to disappointment and sometimes accusation of hypocrisy.

Why Israel is surprised, and why it matters

Israel expects moral clarity from Western democracies and historically, the Netherlands often offered that clarity. When statements or policies came out critical of Israel, Israel viewed them as caveats, not pillars of opposition.
But the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents suggests that, for many Dutch people, criticism of Israeli government has not remained purely political; it has had impact on how Jews in the Netherlands are perceived or treated.
The shock is compounded because many of the incidents are public, violent, involving Israelis and Jews in public spaces like churches, universities, even at football matches. Israel tends to view those as indicators of social sentiment. And events like the “Jew-hunt” are deeply symbolic and alarming (given history).
Also, because the Netherlands has been viewed as moderate, the shift (if it is indeed a shift and not just emergence) seems especially significant: what was thought of as a friend turning, or a neutral critic now becoming hostile

What might help against Israel hatred:

Clearer definitions and enforcement: Clear laws and policies that distinguish legitimate criticism from antisemitic hate speech; consistent enforcement.
Education: More emphasis in schools, universities on Jewish history, Holocaust, antisemitism. Teaching people to understand nuance, to resist dehumanizing rhetoric.
Dialogue & bridge building: Between communities (Jewish, Muslim, immigrant, secular, etc.) so that grievances and fears are aired and addressed. So that activism doesn’t spiral into mutual fear.
Strong political leadership: When leaders clearly condemn anti-Jewish violence, protect Jewish citizens, but also balance moral critique of policies, without slipping into demonization.
Media responsibility: Media should avoid sensationalist framing, understand differences in ideology vs. hate, and avoid amplifying extremist voices without context.

Israel believed in the Netherlands’ pro-Israel posture because of its history, moral identity, diplomatic behavior. But since October 7, the facts, rising numbers of antisemitic incidents, visible violent events like the Amsterdam “Jew-hunt,” large protests calling the government’s policies into question show that many in Dutch society are now more openly critical of Israel, in some cases hostile. That doesn’t mean the Netherlands has uniformly flipped to “anti-Israel,” but it does mean the pro-Israel image is less accurate than many assumed. The key will be how Dutch society, media, political leaders, and institutions respond: whether they allow the rise of antisemitism, or whether they can contain criticism while protecting Jewish safety and maintaining moral clarity.