Crowds Protest Rising Antisemitism In Amsterdam

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Hundreds gathered in the center of Amsterdam Thursday to rally against rising antisemitism after the Dutch capital’s first pogrom since World War Two and an attack on pro-Israel group Christenen voor Israel (‘Christians for Israel’).

Many in the crowd had arrived in buses from across the country to express support for Israel and the Jewish people.

The event, titled “We Stand with Our Jews,” was to take place on Dam Square, but Mayor Femke Halsema prohibited it there, citing “difficulties to ensure safety on a busy Thursday shopping evening.”

Instead, the rally, organized by churches and groups such as Christians for Israel and Centraal Joods Overleg (Central Jewish Consultation), was moved to the Stopera, a building complex housing Amsterdam’s city hall and the Dutch National Opera and Ballet.

Several pro-Palestinian activist groups had announced on social media their intention to demonstrate at the rally, and police removed several.

“Tragically, we can’t rally at the Dam Square, which is in the center of Amsterdam near the National Monument for those killed in World War Two, most of them Jews,” said Christians for Israel Director Frank van Oordt in an interview.

He said it underscored the tensions in society after the Israëlcentrum (Israel Center) of his organization was attacked this week in the Dutch town of Nijkerk.

GRAFFITI PAINT

“Activists of the groups Extinction Rebellion, Justice Now and the Christen Collectief (Christian Collective) covered the building from left to right with graffiti paint,” recalled Van Oordt.

“They accused us of looking away from what is happening in Gaza and that we support Israel. It was shocking for me to see that ‘Christians’ participated in the attack on our building. They are members of the Christian Collective that is publicly speaking against Israel,” he said.

It wasn’t the first time that the Israel Center of Christians for Israel was attacked, and it shows that the pressure increases, Van Oordt noticed.

“However, I would not compare it with the pressure felt by the Jewish people of the Netherlands, especially after the recent pogrom in Amsterdam. If you see how the schools need protection,” Van Oordt added.

He referred to the “November 7 pogrom” when mainly Moroccan Muslims launched what they called a “Jews-hunt” in Amsterdam. The violence emerged after a soccer match between Amsterdam’s Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv teams.

Several Muslim representatives accused the Israeli soccer fans of provoking the anti-Jewish attacks by removing a Palestinian flag and shouting anti-Arab slogans. However, Halsema said that wrongdoing by hardcore soccer fans did not justify “the pogrom” that followed.

However, soon after the “horrific events,” Jews were accused, complained Van Oordt. “We want to say we are standing next to our Jews. The Jews in the Netherlands are shocked about the hate towards them. After the October 7, 2023, [massacre by Hamas], Israël became isolated as well. And we want to stand up and stand with the Jews and Israël.”

NETHERLANDS SAFE

He had a similar message Thursday during the rally, which was also attended by prominent Dutch Jewish singer Lenny Kuhr, who said she welcomed the visitors “in these historically antisemitic times.”

Kuhr, whose concert was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters this year, was disappointed about the location of Thursday’s rally.

“It could not be held at the Dam Square because Amsterdam has not been safe for Jews or those who look like Jews for a long time,” Kuhr noticed. “Where in the Netherlands are Jews still safe?” she asked herself.

“The beast is loose and is raging worldwide,” Kuhr warned.

That became clear later at night: At Amsterdam’s Central Station, Jews and their supporters were advised “not to show an Israeli flag” and, if possible, “to take off any yarmulkes” and, above all, “not to speak Hebrew.”

Similar advice was given to Dutch Jews in Amsterdam during the 1930s and 1940s. Most of them, some 104,000 in total, did not survive the Holocaust or Shoah.

Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

More Worthy News

India’s Famed Evangelist Pagadala Found Dead
India’s Famed Evangelist Pagadala Found Dead
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Pastor Praveen Pagadala, one of India’s most well-known Christian evangelists, has been found dead under alleged suspicious circumstances in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, Worthy News learned Wednesday. He was 46.

US President Trump Announces Tariffs Of Up To 49 Percent
US President Trump Announces Tariffs Of Up To 49 Percent
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced Wednesday he would sign “a historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world” ranging from 10 percent to 49 percent.

EU Central Bank Warns Of Global Chaos Ahead Of Trump Tariffs Announcement
EU Central Bank Warns Of Global Chaos Ahead Of Trump Tariffs Announcement
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs will have a negative impact worldwide, with the damage depending on how far they go, how long they last, and whether they lead to successful negotiations.

FBI Gagged Hunter Laptop Story as Facebook Suppressed It to Appease Biden Admin, Messages Reveal
FBI Gagged Hunter Laptop Story as Facebook Suppressed It to Appease Biden Admin, Messages Reveal
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

The FBI ordered agents to stop discussing Hunter Biden’s laptop just hours after one of its own inadvertently confirmed its authenticity to Twitter, internal messages show. Ahead of The Post’s 2020 reports, the FBI had warned tech giants of a potential Russian disinformation dump resembling the laptop contents. Once the story broke, Facebook execs weighed censorship strategies to align with the expected Biden-Harris administration, according to a congressional investigation.

Israel Expands Gaza Offensive to Crush Terror Networks and Secure Strategic Zones
Israel Expands Gaza Offensive to Crush Terror Networks and Secure Strategic Zones
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday that Israel is expanding its Gaza operations after heavy overnight strikes, with troops set to clear terrorists and infrastructure and seize territory for expanded security zones.

B-2 Stealth Bomber Presence Grows at U.S. Base Within Range of Iran, Yemen
B-2 Stealth Bomber Presence Grows at U.S. Base Within Range of Iran, Yemen
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

At least six nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have been seen at Camp Thunder Bay on Diego Garcia, a remote U.S. base in the Indian Ocean according to satellite imagery analyzed on Wednesday by the Associated Press.

Russia Warns US Attack on Iranian Nuclear Sites Would Be ‘Catastrophic’ for Region
Russia Warns US Attack on Iranian Nuclear Sites Would Be ‘Catastrophic’ for Region
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister issued a strong warning to the United States, cautioning that any military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would lead to “catastrophic” consequences for the entire region after President Donald Trump threatened the “bombing the likes they have never seen before.”