Not All Reflections Are Harmless

What a journalist’s ‘mirror’ tweet really says about antisemitism and double standards

This article responds to a disturbing trend on Dutch social media, where increasingly extreme statements are shared, and even celebrated, under the guise of being “mirrors” or “provocations”. But some of these so-called reflections reveal not just bias or cynicism, but a deeply rooted pattern of antisemitism, dressed up as critique.

“Deport all Jews to the US and turn Israel into a spa resort.”
— Chris Klomp, 5 June 2025

According to Klomp, this was a “mirror”, meant to highlight double standards. But it came without context, warning or explanation. No disclaimer, no quote marks, no irony. Just a plain statement that called for the forced removal of an entire population.

And this is a man who asks for donations on his website so he can continue writing “independently”. A man who claims to “take the time for analysis”. A journalist, supposedly. So let’s take a look at what happens when someone who claims to stand for truth, accountability and journalistic values posts something this appalling.

Double standards, indeed

In a recent blog, Klomp slammed Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf for calling pro-Gaza boat activists “Hamas fans”. According to him, this was blatant framing. Yet in the very same piece, he calls the passengers “human rights activists” – without qualification or context.

If you’re going to call out bias, you should avoid it yourself. You can’t claim moral clarity while posting tweets that read like hate speech.

And let’s not forget: some of those passengers he defends have openly praised Hezbollah, attended pro-Hamas rallies, and publicly called for the end of Zionism. These are not innocent peace doves. Klomp knows this. He chooses to omit it.

These are not peace activists

Take Yasemin Acar, a Berlin-based activist who has openly sympathized with Hamas, celebrated Iran’s missile attacks on Israel, and proudly altered a protest sign to read “Destroy Zionism”. Then there’s Rima Hassan, a French MEP, who defended Hamas attacks as “legitimate resistance”, attended a pro-Hamas rally in Jordan, and publicly blamed Israel for the deaths of hostage victims Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir – all murdered by Hamas.

And let’s not forget Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist who has praised Hezbollah and openly endorsed violence as a form of “resistance” against Israel. Earlier this year, Ávila travelled to Beirut to attend the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He called the occasion “a great honor”, praised Nasrallah as a “martyr and revered leader”, and praised his role in the “anti-colonial struggle”. He wasn’t just a participant – he was both speaker and mourner, deliberate in joining what was effectively a global propaganda event.

Independent – when it suits

Klomp asks readers to support his work because he allegedly takes time for depth and nuance: “What if someone did take the time for proper context?”

But that’s not what happened here. Not when it didn’t suit him. His tweet could have been posted by an anonymous troll account. Instead, it came from someone who prides himself on being a serious voice in Dutch media.

In an era of rising antisemitism and social media dog whistles, this isn’t just a misstep. It’s a warning sign. And if you’re going to hold up a mirror, you should be prepared to look into it.

Preaching instead of reporting

According to Media Bias/Fact Check (2024), De Telegraaf is “right biased”, but also “mostly factual”, with a clean fact check record. The site mentions sensationalism and poor sourcing, but it does not classify the paper as unreliable.

Klomp, however, paints it as pure propaganda, not by deconstructing its content, but by fixating on its most notorious columnist. His article spends more time attacking Wierd Duk than analyzing any actual reporting. It’s not media criticism; it’s an old feud, rehashed under the banner of moral outrage.

He calls out framing but uses phrases like “Palestinian babies dying of man-made famine” and “civilians burned alive by bombs” without citation. No source, no nuance.

He claims to oppose activist journalism but engages in it himself. And all the while, he positions himself as the moral compass of Dutch reporting. But if you’re going to denounce others, your own standards should be impeccable. Especially when you’re casually discussing the forced removal of Jews.

It wasn’t a one-off

On 7 June, in response to a post about Western values and supremacy, Klomp tweeted:

“I don’t believe the Holocaust was committed by Islam. I also struggle to connect that enormous crime to ideas of supremacy.”
— Chris Klomp, 7 June 2025

That’s bizarre. The Holocaust was the result of a belief in Aryan supremacy. If you fail to grasp that, you’re missing basic historical understanding.

And here’s the paradox: Klomp warns others against supremacist thinking, while calling for deportation just a day earlier. He claims to oppose moral decay, while referencing the Holocaust without care or accuracy.

Hiding behind the mirror

When challenged, Klomp doubled down:

“Well, the mirror worked. Outrage when it’s about Jews, silence when Palestinians are the victims. We see you.”
— Chris Klomp, 7 June 2025

So apparently, if you’re upset by a tweet that calls for deportation, you’re the problem. A classic deflection. In Klomp’s world, the more offended you are, the more right he becomes. But let’s be clear: what he wrote is vile. Not because it was about Jews. Not because it could apply to Palestinians. But because no one should suggest this about any group of people.

Suggesting deportation is not journalism. It’s not satire. And it’s certainly not a mirror. It’s a moral collapse.

Jews. Palestinians. Christians. Atheists. Flying Spaghetti Monster followers. This isn’t how you talk about people. And if you still insist it was just a reflection? Then maybe your mirror doesn’t need cleaning. It needs smashing.

Not an outlier, but a pattern

Anyone who thinks Klomp’s tweet about deportation was a one-time misstep is mistaken. A series of earlier tweets reveals it wasn’t an incident, but a recurring rhetorical style – one in which Jews are generalized, mocked, or morally disqualified.

In posts about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Klomp has compared Jews to Nazis, said “they’re doing the same”, claimed that “Moroccans, Jews, all the same really”, and suggested they should “go to Trumpland”, where “they’ll always be hated – partly justified”.

This isn’t a mirror. It’s a smokescreen.
When you say these things, repeatedly, over time, in full seriousness and without correction – you’re not holding up a mirror. You’re pushing a narrative.

At that point, don’t pretend you’re provoking thought. Just put “antisemite” in your bio. Saves everyone the trouble.

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The screenshots below do not reflect isolated missteps, but a pattern, a sustained rhetorical strategy in which antisemitic tropes are repackaged as irony, provocation or critique. Jews are portrayed as power-hungry, undeserving victims, or as a collective problem to be removed, relocated or fenced off. Several tweets trivialize or even justify Hamas violence, while others invert history and dismiss antisemitism as moral deflection. Across the board, the same tactics emerge: inversion, delegitimization, ridicule, and collective blame. This is not reflection. This is narrative warfare, dressed up as journalism.

Translations can be found in the captions.