Protecting Belgium’s Jews: Facts Over Fear

Legitimate concern, unwarranted panic: Chikli and the safety of Jews in Belgium 

In a dramatic statement, Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, claimed that Belgium can no longer protect its Jews. In an interview, he declared that Brussels had been “taken over by Islamist mobs” and that the Belgian state had lost its sovereignty. He called on Belgian Jews to leave the country. A statement that stems partly from genuine concern, but lacks nuance or understanding of Belgian reality. 

Let us be clear: denying the rise of antisemitism in Europe is willful blindness. Also in Belgium, the number of incidents is increasing—both online and in the public space. Jewish students face verbal abuse in schools, social media sees calls for hatred, and in some neighborhoods, Jews avoid visible symbols of their identity. Within the Jewish community, there is undeniably a sense of unease—not paranoia, but a concern based on real experiences. This tension has been markedly amplified since October 7, 2023. 

An important factor is the ideological root of this hostility. Much of contemporary antisemitism does not emerge randomly; it is fed by specific religious and political currents. In some Islamist-inspired circles, the Middle East conflict is directly translated to local streets: Jews are collectively blamed for Israeli policy, with all the consequences that entails. Simultaneously, within far-left, ecological, and so-called progressive spheres—often out of electoral calculation—a reflex persists to consistently depict Israel as the sole aggressor. This often disregards the European Jewish reality, the safety of Jewish citizens, and the fact that antisemitism is not the exclusive domain of the far right. 

But that is only one side of the truth. The Jewish community in Belgium is neither defenseless nor abandoned. Quite the opposite. For many years, there has been close cooperation between law enforcement and Jewish institutions, both in Antwerp and Brussels. Synagogues, schools, cultural centers, and shops have long received structural protection—well before the wave of terror attacks in Europe or the recent escalation in Gaza. Initiatives such as Shmira, which provide voluntary neighborhood security, are actively supported and respected by the Belgian authorities. 

Politically, the picture is also more nuanced than Chikli suggests. Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), who is also mayor of Antwerp, is a clear ally of Israel and a staunch defender of the Jewish community. Shortly after October 7, he called for a firm stance in the conflict and stated during a commemoration: 

There is only one side to choose: that is the side of Israel, the side of democracy and the side of light. Against the forces of tyranny and terror, of antisemitism and barbarism, we know the long arm of Tehran, of Hezbollah, of Hamas, which reaches into the streets of Europe.

This clarity is echoed by MR party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez, who since the beginning of the Gaza war has positioned himself as a vocal defender of Jewish life in Belgium and a critic of what he calls “the cowardice of left-progressive parties in confronting antisemitism.” 

Chikli’s statements must be understood within his own political context. He is known as an ideological hardliner—someone who frequently uses harsh rhetoric and deliberately pushes the boundaries of diplomacy. His suggestion that European Jews belong only in Israel fits within a particular Zionist worldview, but does not align with the complex reality of the diaspora. More importantly, it does nothing to improve the actual situation of European Jews. 

In fact, it may do harm. When an Israeli minister publicly states that “Belgium can no longer protect its Jews,” he undermines trust in Belgian institutions and risks isolating the very community he claims to defend. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: if even Israel says Jews are no longer safe here, it gives extremists the impression that their tactics are working. And that is truly dangerous. 

There is also a significant economic dimension. Antwerp remains a global center for the diamond industry, in which Israelis and Belgian Jews play a crucial role. The trust that sustains this sector is built not only on physical security but also on stability and reputation. Depicting Belgium as some kind of failed European state does no favors in that regard. 

So let’s be clear. Yes, the situation demands vigilance. Yes, antisemitism is on the rise, often from Islamist, far-left, ecological or populist-progressive corners—and must be confronted head-on. Yes, the Jewish community has legitimate concerns. But no, Belgium is not a failed state. And no, its Jewish citizens are not being abandoned. 

The bond between Belgium and its Jewish community is not accidental—it has grown through mutual respect and a shared history. It deserves protection not only through concrete security measures, but also through words that speak truth rather than feed panic. And that is precisely what Minister Chikli failed to deliver. 

Bibliography 

• Security and perception: 

• • Cools, Marc. De beveiliging van de Joodse gemeenschap in België. VUBPress, 2019. 

• • Joods Actueel. “Politiebeveiliging van Joodse instellingen sinds 2014 structureel.” Joods Actueel, May 12, 2022. 

• • Belgian Ministry of Interior. Annual Report on the Security of the Jewish Community. Brussels, 2023. 

• Antisemitism in Europe and Belgium: 

• • FRA – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Experiences and Perceptions of Antisemitism – Second Survey on Discrimination and Hate Crime against Jews in the EU. Vienna, 2019. 

• • Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism. Annual Reports on Discrimination and Antisemitism. Brussels, various years. 

• • Gerstenfeld, Manfred. The War of a Million Cuts: The Struggle against the Delegitimization of Israel and the Jews. RVP Press, 2015. 

• Political context and public statements: 

• • De Wever, Bart. Speech at October 7 commemoration. Antwerp, October 9, 2023. 

• • Bouchez, Georges-Louis. Various interviews and tweets on Israel and antisemitism. Twitter/X @GLBouchez, 2023–2025. 

• • Chikli, Amichai. Quoted in: “Diaspora Minister calls on Belgium Jews to flee, claiming Brussels can’t protect them.” Times of Israel, June 13, 2025. https://www.timesofisrael.com 

• Ideological context: 

• • Taguieff, Pierre-André. L’Antisémitisme nouveau. Mille et une nuits, 2002. 

• • Bensoussan, Georges. Un nom impérissable: Israël, le sionisme et la destruction des Juifs d’Europe. Seuil, 2023. 

• • Vermeersch, Etienne. “On religious intolerance.” De Standaard, opinion section, various articles between 2003 and 2018.