Family of Israeli soldiers in the Netherlands are threatened more often

• Sarah Bürmann

  editor Domestic

Several family members of Israeli soldiers in the Netherlands have faced threats, according to a tour by the NOS. Private information about Israeli soldiers with a Dutch passport and their family circulates on social media.

The attack on a Jewish woman yesterday at her home address in Amstelveen is therefore not an isolated incident. This Shirli, who does not want to be identified by her last name, is the mother of a soldier who is conscripted in the Israeli army. Yesterday, three unknown women showed up on Shirli’s doorstep.

“They shouted that I am the mother of a child murderer,” Shirli told NOS. Leaflets were also distributed in the neighborhood, stating that Shirli had sent her daughter to Israel “to kill babies.” Previously, people came to the woman’s work to seek redress.

Shirli (anonymized in the video) tells what happened to her:

Shirli was attacked at home because her daughter is in the Israeli army

It is not certain how the unwanted visitors obtained Shirli’s private information, but it is clear that they have been widely shared online. Shirli’s daughter and sixteen others are on a list posted on social media by Belgian pro-Palestine activist, writer and politician Dyab Abou Jahjah.

He writes that his organization ‘March 30 Movement’ has filed a complaint against these people because they serve in the Israeli army or live in settlements on the West Bank. Abou Jahjah accuses them of “genocide and other serious crimes”.

NOS has approached a number of people on the list. Not everyone wants to say anything about it, but one of those involved says that he and his family are facing threats. The man received messages stating that someone hoped that he and his family would be bombed. His wife also received messages calling their children “terrorists”.

The man thinks the March 30 Movement is not about the declarations. “They care naming and shaming of Jewish Dutch people, which affects people’s personal safety.” Abou Jahjah and the March 30 Movement were not available for questions from the NOS.

Data on Jewish Dutch people can also be found in other places. For example, the daughter of Shirli, the woman from Amstelveen, is mentioned in an Instagram message by rapper Appa. “Today you’re going to make fun of everything,” he writes.

Appa also claims she has been charged with “war crimes”. “But that is not enough,” said Appa. The now deleted message contained several photos and videos of the woman. The rapper called on his more than 80,000 followers to share information about mother and daughter. This then happened in the comments below the message.

For example, it contained Shirli’s full name and the name of the organization where she works. Her resignation was also demanded. Rapper Appa was not available for questions from NOS.

The National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism, Eddo Verdoner, is concerned. “Many Jews in the Netherlands have family in Israel,” he writes on intimidation of Jewish Dutch people goes beyond all limits.”

Shirli went to the police again today to report the incident. She also did this when her data was shared and people came to her workplace to seek redress. The police cannot yet say much about this specific case. However, doxing, the public sharing of sensitive personal data to intimidate, has been explicitly made punishable by law since January 1.

“We can do several things to help victims,” said a police spokesperson. “What is needed varies per case, but you can, for example, take measures to make someone feel safer at home or sound the alarm on social media platforms.” The police are pleased that doxing is now prohibited by law. “Those who dox often have no idea what the impact is on the victims.”

The photo below shows the folder with information about Shirli and her daughter and all kinds of accusations against them. This photo was obtained via the CIDI, on which mother and daughter and their details have been partly made unrecognizable.