Record number of antisemitic incidents recorded in Holland
The data reflects an "antisemitism crisis," according to the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel.
JNS - Jewish News Syndicate 4:40 PM
Dutch Jews reported a record 421 antisemitic incidents in 2024, an 11% increase over the previous high in 2023, according to the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI). The watchdog labeled the surge an “antisemitism crisis” requiring urgent action. Eddo Verdoner, the Dutch government’s National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, called the trend “shameful,” noting that perpetrators increasingly act without shame, normalizing hostility toward Jews.
The report highlighted a 45% spike in public-space incidents, with visibly Jewish individuals facing verbal abuse, threats, and harassment. Vandalism of Jewish property, including mezuzahs and cemeteries, rose 44%. Jewish students have begun avoiding university classes due to fear of hostility. CIDI’s data, released on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, showed a 305% increase in incidents over the 2012-2022 average of 138 annually.
A significant trigger was the November 7-8, 2024, attacks in Amsterdam, where hundreds of Muslim men targeted Israelis attending a Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer match. Coordinated via messaging platforms, attackers used antisemitic rhetoric, calling the violence a “Jew hunt.” Described as Europe’s largest pogrom against Jews since the Holocaust, the assaults exposed deep hostility within some Muslim immigrant communities and the use of technology to evade authorities.
CIDI urged the Dutch government to adopt a robust strategy beyond Holocaust education. Recommendations include stricter enforcement in schools and online, defunding institutions that discriminate against Jewish artists, banning extremist groups inciting hate, enforcing zero tolerance for antisemitic speech and violence, and mandating transparency about online offenders. Preliminary 2025 data suggests the trend persists.
Verdoner shared stories of Jewish children, students, and adults hiding symbols like Star of David necklaces or kippahs out of fear. The Netherlands, where 75% of its 140,000 Jews were killed during the Holocaust, now has about 40,000 Jewish residents. The CIDI report underscores the need for immediate, comprehensive measures to combat rising antisemitism and protect Jewish communities.
Image - Demonstrators reinforce a barricade at an anti-Israel tent encampment at the University of Amsterdam, six months to the day after a violent citywide attack against Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans, on May 7, 2024. Credit: Umbrellafighter via Wikimedia Commons.
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