A heated controversy is shaking the Netherlands after the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, returned to the use of the term “pogrom” to describe the violence against Israeli supporters in early November. This about-face triggered a reaction from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
However, the facts were damning: hundreds of Israeli supporters who came to watch a match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv were targeted by hostile groups who, traveling on scooters in the city, demanded to see their passports. identify citizens of the Hebrew State. The day after the match, the mayor herself admitted that these scenes “brought back memories of the pogroms”. But during a recent intervention, Ms. Halsema backtracked, accusing Israel of using the term “pogrom” as “propaganda” and deploring its political exploitation against Moroccan and Muslim residents of Amsterdam.
Koen van Weel / ANP / AFP
“The words of the mayor of Amsterdam are totally unacceptable,” reacted Minister Sa’ar on X. “The failure of that night must not be compounded by another serious failure: an attempted cover-up.” He recalls that the use of the term “pogrom” was not an “Israeli invention” but came from Dutch politicians themselves, who recognized the seriousness and anti-Semitic nature of the incident. This controversy reignites the debate on anti-Semitism in Europe, with Sa’ar concluding forcefully: “We will never again accept the persecution of Jews on European soil or elsewhere!”
The incident and its aftermath raise worrying questions about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the responsibility of local authorities in protecting Jewish communities.
Belgium
