GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 414

Is Europe Lost?

Antisemitism Grows

It wasn’t that long ago when people in the Netherlands were friends of Jews. They famously hid Jews when the Nazis hunted them down, but apparently those days are gone as we hear from an opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post:

As I write these words, a demonstration of hate is taking place in one of Amsterdam’s main streets, an unlawful protest by Muslims that signals, all too clearly, that the Netherlands, like other nations, has lost control of its own state to a fanatical Muslim mob. Just days after the antisemitic at carried out by Muslim rioters, it’s apparent that nothing has been learned. The Dutch authorities – including Amsterdam’s mayor and police, who banned the protest – did nothing to stop it.

The author harkened back to another time when Jews were being hunted down:

On the same day that Muslims lay in wait outside hotels to target Jews, one’s thoughts traveled to an even darker period in Dutch history when, on a nearby street about 80 years ago, the Nazis captured Anne Frank and her family, leading to their eventual murder.

He also mentioned another time when the Dutch people supported the Jews:

A Dutch friend recently sent me an image of the Star of David, writing, “Our thoughts and hearts are with you. This is no longer our Holland.” This message reminded me of the embrace and love Israel received worldwide after the Six-Day War, in which we triumphed over Arab states that sought our destruction. The times have indeed changed, yet the hatred remains the same. Antisemitism is reemerging globally and in the Netherlands, where Muslims and antisemitic Dutch citizens have joined forces, rallying with calls for Israel’s annihilation. Witnessing Dutch citizens shouting “Free Palestine” without grasping the implications of their words, while police stand by and allow blatant law-breaking, is deeply troubling.

Troubling, indeed. The role reversal was infamously obvious:

We grew up on the legend of the Dutch as “Righteous Among the Nations,” heroes who helped save Jews during World War II. However, the truth is starkly different. Many Dutch citizens betrayed Jews to the Nazis, exposing their hiding places.

He then relayed his experience with someone who recalled better days:

Nevertheless, on my first visit to the Netherlands many years ago, I met one of the war’s most nondecorated heroes, Maurice Kiek. He hosted my wife and me in the beautiful town of Wassenaar near Rotterdam, and over dinner, we heard about the Dutch who fought alongside Jews against the Nazi scourge.

He mentions that an influx of immigrants who have no love for Jews is changing this area:

The Netherlands was different then. Amsterdam was, and perhaps still is, a cosmopolitan city that allowed for diverse beliefs and lifestyles. But with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants, crime and violence have surged. Some of them brought with them a culture that has begun to overshadow Dutch traditions.

And he is right.

Huge Security Issues

The authorities aren’t helping either:

Following this week’s attack on Israeli fans who came to watch a soccer game, and despite countless videos documenting the violence, Dutch police released all the detainees, who, it turns out, had already been arrested in unrelated events prior to the game.

And the press is now pointing at Israelis as being the problem:

Meanwhile, Dutch media, which initially expressed “shock” at the pogrom, now shifts the narrative, unjustly blaming Israelis. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, commenting on police failures, suggested that officers secured irrelevant areas, attributing the problem to misallocated police resources rather than a lack of personnel. This sums up Amsterdam police’s monumental security lapse.

Even though the demonstrations are illegal, they aren’t being stopped:

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinians continue to stage demonstrations “for Palestine,” rejecting the notion that Jews are victims – a claim that defies belief. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Palestinians have turned victimhood into an art, duping the public with the media’s help, embedding their false narrative.

While Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema banned protests after the violent events, no one seemed deterred, as a demonstration held two days later proved the police are either unwilling or unable to halt the rioters.

The media isn’t critical of antisemitic talk from sports celebrity either:

Though Dutch media criticized Galatasaray player Hakim Ziyech – a former Ajax player – for his comments about the violent incidents involving Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, his provocations continue unimpeded.

The author then notes that the harassing of Jews continues as well:

Olivier Dutil, the Netherlands’ chief of police, reports that random passersby are repeatedly asked by pro-Palestinians to show their passports to verify whether they are Jews.

He then cryptically but correctly ends his commentary this way:

The chaos in Amsterdam persists.

The question is when will there be a push back on this hatred? Who will stand up to this hatred? To be certain the antisemitism will continue to grow unless something is done. We are already perilously close to having to hide Jews again. Edmund Burke’s famous quote is shouting at us now:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

And a quote about being quiet when action is needed also comes to mind:

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.

Not to speak is to speak.

Not to act is to act.”

As the body of Christ we need to pray for Israel and Jews all around the world now. Even though Jesus told us this kind of evil would proliferate just before He returned we are not told to just let it happen. Rather we are to resist it at every turn. We should be the loudest and most ardent supporter of Israel and its people. God commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and tells us that if we bless them, He will bless us. I don’t know about you, but I like God’s blessings.