The Amsterdam Pogrom, a year later
On the first anniversary the pogrom of Amsterdam, one can only look back in dismay. Some can hardly believe that Western civilisations, with the Netherlands in particular, can have had such a collective breakdown in sanity. What is perhaps more telling though, is what has happened since the violence of last year. One incident that could have sparked a change-of-direction for Dutch society, has only strengthened antisemitism. A society that struggles with a lack of housing, climate change, multiculturalism and a growing disparity between the rich and poor now has what they need to ignore their own responsibilities… the Jews, again.
The lies
News organisations in the Netherlands are, barring a few fringe exceptions, completely lost. Since the pogrom, multiple reports have been published related to the systematic misrepresentation, deceitfulness, and framing towards Israel and the Jews by the state news agencies. One report even concerned itself exclusively with children’s school television, quickly showing that systematic antisemitism is deeply ingrained in all levels of education. Those reports were mostly ignored, as Dutch society has reached the point where the testimony of a Jew is just worthless.
The complete breakdown of the press and the single-minded mania is now reaching absurd levels. Most of the world blames Israel for hunger in Gaza, but in the Netherlands, Israel was at one point blamed for spreading disease through their humanitarian aid. These deceitful publications were quickly redacted, but the harm was already done. Blatant lies from the middle ages are making a come-back on Dutch state sponsored television. The fake-news trends that politicians were complaining about in the past, are now embraced by those same politicians and the population at large.
This downward spiral of lies has also made any further discussion essentially pointless. There is only one narrative and any dissenting voice is obviously part of the great Jewish conspiracy. The difference between a Jew and a zionist has also become completely irrelevant: Any person in the Netherlands who doesn’t repeat antisemitic falsehoods is a zionist.
The hate
All of this has cumulated in more hate. Multiple Jewish organisations have been under repeated attack because they criticise pro-terrorist, anti-Israel or anti-Jewish news coverage. Organisations that do speak out will have their workspaces vandalised, their employees threatened and their business partners leave. Jews that want to organise a football game for children, or that are looking for a gardener, are ostracised. Even the Jewish Police Network in the Netherlands had to cease operations: Not even Dutch Jews working for the police can do their work nowadays due to harassment from fellow police officers.
Jewish organisations that want to discuss this hate and who invite known speakers like Douglas Murray or Ayaan Hirsi Ali are attacked. Even the venue that allowed this panel-discussion to take place, was not save from harassment and in the end those directly involved were made to resign. Evidently, the whole Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has been very successful. The entire educational and cultural sector has been submerged in anti-Jewish sentiment, cumulating in The Dutch now also turning their back to the Eurovision and cancelling Hanukkah concerts.
In the recent parliamentary elections, most attacked Israel. The biggest Christian party scapegoated the Jewry as a whole for the complex war that Israel is waging, comparing Israel to Russia. The biggest winner of the elections is a progressive centre-left party and thus, they call for a fast array of measures against Israel, including a weapons embargo that would make Israel a thing of the past. When asked what they want to do about antisemitism in The Netherlands though, they repeatedly deflected the question by starting about Islamophobe sentiments. In the future, both domestic and foreign Jews should not trust the Dutch state and its electorate with their safety.
Finally, Dutch Muslims who don’t hate the Jews or Israel are also not save. When a group of Imams travelled to Jerusalem, they expressed their concern about religious extremism in the West, while emphasising the importance of coexistence. The Dutch imam that attended this event and whom spread a message of tolerance, was sacked the very next day.
The Dark Ages
Antisemitism is the Trojan horse, poisoning the mind by evading reason itself. Any support for democracy or civil liberties, and any concern about religious extremism and fake news is dismantled when the Jews are concerned. Jews are by en large not entitled to fight back, to stand up for themselves and to act pro-actively when threatened.
The hate that begins with Jews, never stops with Jews. Dutch society has been shaken by a series of rapes, murders, and violence against women. Violence against the LGBTQ community is also increasing rapidly, but the reports and statistics that point in a certain direction are systematic ignored. Most Dutch likely don’t realise that repeating the lies of religious fundamentalist groups, also has its reverberations in other parts of society.
This itself is paralysing for any believe in Europa as a beacon of modern enlightenment thinking. How can one have hope for ageing democracies with shifting demographics, when they believe so little in core concepts that Israel is fighting for? Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks once remarked that an antisemite often lacks, what he blames the Jews for. Do the Dutch blame Israel because they have lost faith in their own nation and people? Perhaps, they deep down know that the Jews and Israel will outlive the Dutch and The Netherlands.
For Jews in the Netherlands, there is little hope. One day, The Netherlands will be free of Jews and the Dutch Jews better make preparations. The elderly and frail might stay, but any young couple should not start a family here. For the Jews in Israel though, the situation is reaffirming. There are hardships, and Israel has its share of unique challenges, but Israel is the Jewish homeland and that will never change.
