This week, Christian Union leader Mirjam Bikker initiated a proposal in the House of Representatives in which politicians speak out against increasing anti-Semitism in our country. The call was signed by all parties, except DENK and Forum for Democracy. The right to demonstrate is an important good, “but don’t touch Jewish Dutch people and their safety,” says Bikker in Goedemorgen Nederland on NPO 1.
Bikker emphatically emphasizes that it is “terrible that this is necessary”. Recently there have been regular incidents in which anti-Semitism played a role. “More and more Jewish Dutch people do not feel safe and this is happening in more and more places. Where we previously heard a lot about being verbally abused and chants at football stadiums, we now experience that people are even being attacked at home, do not feel safe at school and Lenny Kuhr was verbally abused on stage.”
Politics must actively speak out
The Christian Union leader believes it is important that politicians speak out against hatred of Jews. Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte also did this in the last Council of Ministers. There he said that things are “going in the wrong direction with anti-Semitism in the Netherlands”. Bikker: “He is the one who speaks on behalf of the entire country. And that he has the leadership to say: things are not okay, stop this.”
According to Bikker, it is important that people have the right to demonstrate. “That’s a great thing,” she says. “But don’t touch Jewish Dutch people and their safety.” She believes that it is up to all of us together to take the next step.
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Lists of Jewish families
“I especially hope that activists will reflect. That is the easiest solution. That they think: I have opinions about Palestine and what it should look like or about Gaza, and that makes me very sad. But that they see this separately from Dutch Jews,” Bikker continues. “I just don’t understand how you make that connection.”
If these people do not think twice and do not behave, the police will have to take action, says the Christian Union leader. “You hope it doesn’t have to come to this,” she says. “I think it is crazy that lists are made with Jewish families. In our country, with our history. That can not be true. That makes me angry and sad. The police understand how best to protect people, but the people who do this must be quickly removed from their beds and arrested.”
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By: Matthijs Meulblok
