Mayor Halsema, together with other Dutch mayors, has written an open letter in which she speaks out against rising anti-Semitism. The mayors call, among other things, not to make inappropriate comparisons with the Holocaust and not to use slogans that hurt or intimidate others.
The mayors write that the number of anti-Semitic incidents increased even more after the Hamas attacks on October 7. “The statistics say it, but we already knew it from the contacts we maintain with our Jewish residents. Online, on the street, in the classroom, at the sports club and at our universities and colleges: everywhere, Jewish townspeople and villagers experience anti- Jewish intimidation and aggression.”
They emphasize that criticism of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitism. “But holding Jewish people responsible for the actions of that government, just because they are Jewish, is. Intimidating, abusing or even physically attacking Jewish people is anti-Semitic and punishable. We stand for freedom of expression and the freedom to demonstrate, but we do not accept anti-Semitism.”
The full open letter, signed by 329 mayors:
Open letter from Dutch mayors against rising anti-Semitism
“The National Holocaust Museum contains a sign that hung in many places in our country during the Second World War. It says ‘Jews not wanted’. These signs often had to be hung outside shops and cafes by order of the occupying forces. There were also Dutch people who hung such a sign of their own accord. A few weeks after October 7, 2023, a Jewish child received a drawing home from one of his non-Jewish classmates. It showed Adolf Hitler with a gun.
Anti-Semitism is not an incident but an age-old form of racism that, if we do nothing, will be passed on from generation to generation. The Holocaust is the extreme consequence of excluding people based on their origins. The Holocaust teaches us that we must always oppose any form of discrimination and racism. Anti-Semitism never went away after the Second World War, but surfaced more often in the years before October 7, 2023. This happened in different ways and came from many different corners of society. For example, around the corona crisis, we have seen that conspiracy theorists all too often use anti-Jewish stereotypes and have even been convicted for trivializing the Holocaust.
After October 7, the number of anti-Semitic incidents increased even more. The statistics say so, but we already knew it from the contacts we maintain with our Jewish residents. Online, on the street, in the classroom, at the sports club and at our universities and colleges: Jewish townspeople and villagers everywhere experience anti-Jewish intimidation and aggression. The recent flare-up of anti-Semitism is related to the explosion of violence in the Middle East. We watched with horror the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.
We are horrified by the enormous numbers of civilian deaths in Gaza. Criticism of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitism. But holding Jewish people responsible for the actions of that government just because they are Jewish is. Intimidating, abusing or even physically attacking Jewish people is anti-Semitic and punishable. We stand for freedom of expression and freedom to demonstrate, but we do not accept anti-Semitism.
We are not just writing this letter as authority figures and law enforcement officers. We are also writing this letter as the first citizens of our municipalities. In that role, we call on our fellow citizens to take each other into account. Not to push the boundaries of what is permissible. We ask our fellow citizens not to use slogans that hurt and intimidate others. To avoid making inappropriate comparisons to the Holocaust or Nazism that deeply hurt survivors. We speak out when we see or hear that our Jewish fellow citizens are being intimidated or when moral boundaries are otherwise being crossed, even if they are not punishable.
In many cities there are Jewish people, often with family in Israel, Palestinians who live in great fear for their loved ones and others with strong involvement in the conflict who continue to talk to each other. Sometimes despite intense disagreements. We are incredibly proud of those residents. They sow peace in our society. Let us not trample on that fragile peace. Let us continue to oppose any form of discrimination and racism. These weeks, many volunteers in all Dutch cities and villages are preparing to commemorate our dead on the fourth of May and celebrate our freedom on the fifth of May. We call on all our residents to respect this important and valuable tradition.”
