“One of the oldest scapegoats is the Jews”
Anti-Semitism was on the rise even before Hamas fired rockets at Israel on October 7th, observes UvA and CIDI researcher Hans Wallage. He warns of the consequences. “Fear is prevalent among Jewish people.”
“The events after October 7th were at most a catalyst for anti-Semitism in the Netherlands,” argues UvA historian Hans Wallage. The researcher is also affiliated with the CIDI (Center for Information and Documentation on Israel), which will publish its list of 2023 anti-Semitic incidents in a report next week. “We saw anti-Semitism growing even before the war in Gaza. In doing so, many reports mainly show the fear prevalent among Jewish people.”
Lenny Kuhr
However, Wallage believes the discussion of specific incidents of recent times, including demonstrations at the Holocaust Museum against Israeli President Herzog and threats to the home of family members of soldiers serving in Israel, is a lot more complicated than is often presented in the media today. “Many reports also play out outside these events in the news. I often miss the nuance of whether or not something is anti-Semitism in those major incidents, on social media but also in opinion pieces in newspapers.”
“The boundaries between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism shift over time. Anti-Semitism can be a broad term,” Wallage explained. Unfortunately, the terms are sometimes used inappropriately in the process, according to the UvA researcher. “Then again, sometimes people are far too quick to grab the anti-Semitism card, but just as quickly brush aside comments that have a clear anti-Semitic tendency with: ‘Yes, but it was criticism of Israel.’”
Utrecht University of Applied Sciences
Wallage himself has also felt the effects of the polarized discussion. In January, his guest lecture on the Holocaust at the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences was postponed because of a threatening situation. “There was mainly criticism of the CIDI,” explains the lecturer. In fact, Wallage's employer is also Israel's advocacy organization. “But the Information Center on Israel has a completely different branch of researchers than the anti-Semitism branch of the CIDI. At most, I say ‘Hello’ to the other researchers in the hallway.” The UvA lecturer felt that the topic, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, should be discussed at all costs, so the guest lecture took place last March. “But it's still crazy to lecture with security guards in the room.”
According to Wallage, education is the best remedy against growing anti-Semitism in any case. “Teach children about the Holocaust, but also about how Jewish history is connected to Dutch identity. Think for example of words like ‘gabber,’ ‘mokum’ and ‘jatten’ or Jewish food traditions like lekkerbekjes, zilveruitjes and the oliebol.
X
In addition to education, Wallage says the government must ensure that social media platforms such as X and TikTok are more closely monitored for anti-Semitic messages. “It has been proven that young people are enormously influenced by social media. Politicians must ensure as soon as possible that there is enough legislation to deal with messaging on these platforms. The number of reports of anti-Semitism that have been growing for years is due to polarization and conspiracy theories about Jews on social media, according to the historian. “There has been a lot of discontent in society for some time, and yes, one of the oldest scapegoats is the Jews.”
Wallage was thus pleased with the House of Representatives’ call to action against anti-Semitism last week. “There was fortunately enough nuanced justification as to why the actions against Lenny Kuhr were anti-Semitic.” But he thinks, as Prime Minister Rutte also said last week, that responsibility also lies with the citizens of the Netherlands. “If you see something happening, speak out against anti-Semitism and polarization. We must stand side by side.”
War
Wallage therefore looks at recent events in Gaza with great concern. “I look on with enormous sympathy for the innocent victims in Gaza. And fear that every Israeli war action will absolutely result in more anti-Semitism.” During the day, Wallage works his way through reports of anti-Semitism and in the evening talks to his Jewish family about the growing hatred of Jews. “The trauma in the Jewish community is still so great after the Holocaust. You are constantly working on it. I just want so much for this war to be over as soon as possible.”
Right now, however, Wallage sees the future for the Jewish community as “not rosy. When the CIDI report comes out next week, you can check, as I did, the potentially ‘anti-Semitic’ nature of every report. Certainly, the polarization in society makes the position of the Jewish community in the Netherlands difficult. But, you know: We're here and we're here to stay.”
