Tensions in the Middle East have direct consequences in Belgium, according to Joël Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism.
And “tsunami of anti-Semitism” has swept through Germany, these are the words today of the German government commissioner responsible for anti-Semitism. In France, 36,000 racist and anti-Semitic acts were recorded last year in schools. What is the situation in Belgium today? “The situation is quite similar”says according to Joël Rubinfeld. “That is to say that at the level of the Western world, mainly Western Europe and North America, you have this tsunami of anti-Semitism. In Belgium, over the three months that we follow, therefore the October 7, UNIA figures show that there is an outbreak of anti-Semitism: 1,000% increase in anti-Semitic acts compared to the 2022 average.
According to UNIA data, in two months, between October 7 and December 7, 2023, 91 reports were recorded, of which 66 explicitly referred to Jewish ancestry. For comparison, Unia emphasizes that last year it received on average between 4 and 5 reports per month concerning this problem.
According to the president of the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism, the number of these acts against the 30,000 Jewish Belgians was already high before. Has their content changed since October 7? “Anti-Semitism has changed in nature since October 7. First, it’s repetition. Before, we had anti-Semitic acts, but it wasn’t every day”underlines Joël Rubinfeld on the set of RTL info 7 p.m. According to the guest, the Jews of Belgium “are afraid” it’s something established.
“We have to hide”
The president of the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism refers to a press release from the European Commission published at the end of 2023. “I’ll give you examples: today, many Jews changed their name on their Uber account”he confides. “If you call Lévi or Cohen or a Jewish-sounding name, you are afraid of taking an Uber taxi or being delivered by Uber Eats because there has been violence in France and other countries in relation to this. We have to hide and it is extremely worrying.”
Joël Rubinfeld, the ambient anti-Semitism he describes would have “changed nature”. It asserts in the direction that there exists “state anti-Semitism”. According to him, there would be “today, we have relays at the highest level of the power of this anti-Semitism”, particularly in the “executive power”.
anti-Semitism Joël Rubinfeld Belgian League against Anti-Semitism
