On November 7, an anti-Israel mob took to the streets of Amsterdam to “hunt Jews” after a soccer match against a visiting Israeli team in an incident that Israeli President Isaac Herzog called an “anti-Semitic pogrom.” ' started.
Five victims were hospitalized when an angry mob cornered and assaulted Jews and Israelis. Rioters continued their protests even after the Nov. 11 tram arson incident drew attention to anti-Semitism across Europe.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of global social action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told FOX News Digital that the center “issued a travel advisory for Amsterdam immediately after the incident.” told. Cooper explained that the Simon Wiesenthal Center takes such actions “very rarely” and only after serious consideration.
Violence intensifies in Amsterdam, tram set on fire
This image taken from video shows police officers in riot gear patrolling the streets of Amsterdam on Monday, November 11, 2024, as the city faces tensions following recent violence. There is. (AP photo)
“In theory, you could issue a travel advisory for almost anywhere in Western Europe,” Cooper added. As Cooper explained, “The establishment has never really moved forward in a large-scale way across Europe to protect Jews and guarantee their rights and religious freedom.” .
There has been an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across Europe following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. In May, citing data from the World Zionist Organization, Y Net News reported Anti-Semitic incidents increased by 800% in Sweden compared to the previous year, as well as by 680% in Spain, 450% in the Netherlands, 442% in the UK and 433% in France.
The events in Amsterdam appear to have sparked further hatred. According to reports, on November 10, Belgian authorities arrested five people after a call to “hunt Jews” appeared on social media in Antwerp's Jewish Quarter. jerusalem post.
Anti-Semitism in the UK has reached record levels since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. (Campaign against antisemitism in X)
Protests by pro-Palestinian activists in Greece in mid-November became so violent that the Israeli Foreign Ministry advised Israelis to avoid embassies and certain other areas, and to remove identification symbols. The Post reported. Not only was Greece's first anti-Israel demonstration, in June nine Europeans were being considered for deportation following a “destructive anti-Israel demonstration” at the Faculty of Law at the University of Athens.
Prime Minister Netanyahu condemns Amsterdam anti-Semitic pogrom, warns of more attacks on world leaders if action is not taken
The Jerusalem Post reported that on November 7, an under-17 boys' soccer team in Berlin was “chased and assaulted” by a crowd brandishing knives and sticks while shouting “Liberate Palestine”. . Less than two weeks later, The Times of Israel reported that berlin police chief He urged Jewish and gay residents to “be careful” in areas with large Arab populations. “Unfortunately, there are also areas where the majority of Arabs are sympathetic to terrorist organizations,” she explained.
The growth of dangerous groups in Berlin echoes the warning words of Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal. As Cooper explained, his organization's founder emphasized, “It often starts with the Jews. It never ends with the Jews.”
A man walks at night over a building with a Star of David facade in the Alesia district of Paris on October 31, 2023. (Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images)
In an atmosphere of tension and hatred, Cooper said European Jews are engaging in “conditioning and self-censorship”, removing yarmulkes and taking the Jewish “chai” symbol from necklaces. he pointed out. “It's probably been about 15 years since a Jew in Amsterdam felt comfortable walking to a synagogue wearing a kippah,” Cooper said.
Cooper's concerns are backed up by media reports. A Dutch Jewish citizen told Ynetnews that Jews visiting the Netherlands should not wear any identification or “bring an Israeli passport.” The Times reported in October that many Irish Jews were similarly removing their identification symbols due to mistrust.
According to the newspaper, Jews in France are removing mezuzahs from their doors, avoiding Uber rides and even changing their names to protect themselves from being identified and targeted for hate when receiving deliveries. It is said that even Christian Science Monitor. In 2023, 1,676 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in France (compared to 436 the previous year). Approximately 1,200 French Jews have started applying to immigrate to Israel in 2023, an increase of 430% from 2022.
Europe's top rabbi says tackling anti-Semitism should be a priority before recognizing Palestinian state
An anti-Israel demonstrator in Amsterdam, Netherlands, holds a poster with the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The ADL calls the slogan anti-Semitic. Amsterdam, October 5, 2024. (Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
As Cooper explained, “It's very painful to look around Europe and see that one or two days a year they pay their due respect to the Jews who died. have not yet understood how to live, accept and celebrate the existence of Jews in their society. ”
Fox News Digital asks U.S. State Department to issue travel advisory warning Jewish Americans of anti-Semitism abroad as rising hatred in Europe could impact Americans traveling abroad I asked if it was.
“We take seriously our commitment to provide Americans with clear, timely and reliable information about countries around the world so they can make informed travel decisions,” a spokesperson said. “We use a standard format for travel advisories and warnings to make it easy for U.S. citizens to find and use important security information. U.S. citizens traveling internationally are encouraged to use the Smart Traveler Registration Program (STEP.state.gov) to receive important safety and security updates and to make it easier to contact the U.S. embassy or consulate in case of an emergency. ”
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators burn a photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a rally to express solidarity with the Palestinians in front of the Israeli Embassy in Athens, Greece, Sunday, November 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karaharis)
The State Department's Level 2 travel advisory for the Netherlands was updated in August and mentions terrorist threats, but provides no information on anti-Semitic hatred. Nor will recommendations be made to France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, or Greece.
Cooper said the Simon Wiesenthal Center believes the incoming Trump administration will “take the fight against anti-Semitism around the world to a new level” and “particularly in the Americas and in the international organizations from which we diverge.” We hope that this will become part of America's foreign policy.” Billions of dollars come out every year. ”
