As a Jew living in Brussels, what is your state Of mind since the massacres of October 7?
That Saturday, discovering these organized assassinations, I was in a state of astonishment, I did not understand. I was quickly seized with fear for the relatives living in Israel. And then, I hoped that we could have a fairly accurate reading of the events, but no! Very quickly, things got heated, we felt anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial remarks emerging. Yet these people were killed not because they were Israeli, but because they were Jewish. Like during the Holocaust. Like during the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. History repeated itself again…
Since then, has your daily life changed?
When taking the train to Paris or being in an Uber in Brussels, I preferred to remove the Star of David that I wear around my neck. It was infinitely sad, but I told myself that wearing such a sign does not deserve a stab. Today, I avoid certain gatherings when I feel there may be danger. I love the performing arts, but I can no longer go there without imagining the dangers they represent. When I frequent places and worlds that could be the target of a crazy person or an evildoer, I am vigilant.
How, concretely, does this rise of anti-Semitism does it appear in Belgium?
One of my kids is in college and he’s going through it. Fortunately, he is tall and that prevents him from being a target, but the little ones and the girls take it hard, they get insulted. As members of the Union of Jewish Students of Belgium, they organize events, but they have to be ultra vigilant and they need security at the door. Campuses have become extremely pro-Palestinian and engaged places. There we find a strange mixture of very virulent far left, LGBTQIA+ universe and very weak-willed Islamists. And, together, they feel obliged, to defend the Gazan population, to insult Israel and the Jews of the whole world, whom they put in the same bag of evil. However, whoever we are in a democratic country, the only enemy we must have is the Iran-Ezbollah-Hamas model.
These students also criticize the response of the Israeli government which is causing numerous civilian victims…
I am surprised that the whole world is involved in the governance of Israel, more than any other country on Earth. However, Israel is not an apartheid country. Arabs represent a quarter of the population and occupy positions at all levels of responsibility in society. In summer, on the beach in Tel Aviv, you can see a gay couple kissing next to an Arab mother wearing an outfit that covers her completely, and that’s completely normal. In Israel, everyone lives their religion as they can and as they want. And, like everything, it can cause friction. But it is a democratic country.
Do you think that in Belgium too you can die because of your Jewishness?
Obviously ! We are going to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the attack at the Jewish Museum… When my son tells me that he comes home before midnight but that he is still not there at 1 a.m., I am worried, even when he is at a friend who doesn’t live far away. Since October 7, the resurgence of anti-Semitic acts has been a total reality.
Do Jews have to hide in Brussels today?
Not yet, but they must be ultra vigilant. All ! I left my name on my mailbox, but removed it in the elevator and on my front door. I don’t want to hide, but I have to be realistic, people are crazy.
Does this explain why you testify anonymously?
Yes, because I fear the consequences if I am recognized. And then I don’t want this exit to become a subject in my professional life. I don’t want it to impact my children either.
Have you got thought about leaving Belgium ?
Yes, after the attack at the Jewish Museum and after the Paris attacks, I feared putting my children’s lives in danger. But they were small and, in the end, we stayed. Perhaps for ease… Unfortunately, among Jews, it is rare for a child to be born in the same country as his grandparents. If the street catches fire and we continue to see “Death to the Jews” on the walls, we will have to ask ourselves the right questions. I would like the Muslims who demonstrate in favor of the Palestinians to also denounce the actions of Hamas, and for us to find this way of living together. However, currently, people who take a stand against Hamas are being insulted as anti-Muslims!
Today, do you have the impression that we can no longer criticize the Hamas massacres without being seen as anti-Palestinian?
It’s exactly that. Today we can no longer say publicly that we want to protect Israel. But we must protect this country which is the only democracy in the region. And then Israel has its reasons for existing. Although I’m not saying that the way this country was created is perfect. But, even more, I don’t understand why we don’t acknowledge the fact that we have a common enemy which is Hamas. The enemy of the Palestinians is this terrorist organization!
Even in the political ranks, we sense reluctance to qualify Hamas as a terrorist association…
No kidding ! However, it has been recognized as such for a long time, in a fair, normal and legitimate way. I don’t understand how it’s possible not to know how to say this. These people kill and massacre. They are not resistance fighters. We have a real problem. The same one that we found in the late 1920s and 1930s. When we look at the whole history of the rise of Nazism, we find many similarities. That’s what scares me.
Are you shocked by the lack of position taken by Belgian politicians?
Obviously. I call on them all the time. When Iran sends missiles to Israel, the whole world immediately protests. Even those who are not pro-Israeli are showing their support. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib, she tweets something very cold, very factual. She simply explains that she telephoned her Iranian counterpart to make him see reason. I won’t say what I think about this tweet… Where is the message that says this is not acceptable? We had to wait several hours before she finally sanctioned this attack! With what we know about Iran and the danger that this country represents, it’s crazy… We even saw the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan siding with Israel! These people understood that they also had to protect themselves.
Some municipalities float the Palestinian flag on city hall. Does this appeal to you?
There is no reason to put up a Palestinian flag so, yes, it shocks me. But there are things that shock me so much more, like seeing a terrorist (Editor’s note: the Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri) being invited to the ULB for a conference last week. The students demanded explanations from the University management, which was very poorly justified. At what point is it normal to accept this? This makes neither tail nor head.
Is the danger faced by the Jews taken seriously enough here?
I think. But, unfortunately, some by convictions, others by electoralism, position themselves against the Jews. They defend their electorate. What I miss most are these Muslim voices who sanction the actions of Hamas and who recognize that they are the bad guys. But these votes can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
There Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks is very bloody. Does it also shock you?
It’s a complicated question. I am not a military strategist. Of course mistakes were made, otherwise what happened on October 7 would never have happened. Is Israel’s response acceptable? I don’t know, I’m not capable of judging it. The figures announced by the Palestinians, which speak of tens of thousands of deaths, are unbearable. Even if I have doubts about this data, the fact remains that the slightest civilian loss is one death too many.
But we must realize that rockets have been falling on Israel every day for 20 years! There is no death, simply because a special system protects the country. But, the day this system fails, there could be deaths. If Luxembourg constantly fired rockets at the Belgian population, would this country still exist? No, and everyone would find that normal and legitimate! Well, it’s Israel, so let’s just let it happen. We don’t realize that it’s not a life… People have houses built with a strong room to take refuge in. In hotels, this is the first place indicated to you. It’s been a real mess for years. But this is no longer possible. And Israel cannot take the risk of once again letting these terrorists descend and massacre its population. In the middle of all this, there are babies! When does waging a decent war mean taking a baby hostage?
What do you think of the policy of Benjamin Netanyahu ?
I am one of those Jews who goes to Israel from time to time. When I go there, out of support for my friends and out of respect for my ideas, I participate in the anti-Netanyahu demonstrations. I dont like him at all.
Are you surprised to hear so few feminists taking a stand against Hamas abuses ?
Ah well, it’s not “so little position” or “no position at all”, it’s worse! Some almost defend what happened. A lot, even. I have always been very feminist and very committed. I have been wondering about this new generation of feminists for a long time. Are they all really? Some yes, some no. I’m not surprised, I’m devastated. I actually got into a disagreement with one of my friends because of that, among other things. At what point, if you’re a feminist, can’t you at least come clean and admit what happened? At what point, if you are a feminist and you see a young woman torn apart and raped, can you not take up her cause? That does not make sense ! These feminists, in my eyes, lose all legitimacy.
But can’t we be feminist and support the Palestinian cause?
I am not saying that they do not have a right to defend freedom for the Palestinian people. But let’s talk about these people, these civilians who are suffering, and not their terrorist leaders. I am the first to say that I would like the Palestinians to live well. Especially since if it comes to that, the Israelis will also finally live well.
Do you support her two-state solution ?
I do not know. I often ask myself this question. This can be a very good solution as long as there is a very good government which is not a terrorist organization. We have never seen countries with terrorist organizations at their head get away with it. It can’t hold.
