Dutch journalist slams government’s stance on anti-Semitism

By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) – Dutch Jewish journalist Eva Prins has criticized the Dutch government for disproportionately framing incidents involving supporters of Israel as anti-Semitism while ignoring the widespread discrimination Muslims face in the Netherlands.

Citing a report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights titled Being Muslim in Europe: The Experiences of Muslims, Prins emphasized that anti-Muslim sentiment in the Netherlands ranks among the highest in Europe.

"If I would be a Muslim now in the Netherlands, I think I would feel unsafe. And it feels very bad for me that they abuse anti-Semitism for this. So that's why I speak out," Prins said, speaking to Anadolu.

She also condemned the portrayal of events following a recent football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv where Israeli hooligans reportedly chanted slogans such as "Kill all Arabs" and "There are no children left in Gaza" as acts of anti-Semitism.

Prins argued that this framing unfairly targeted Dutch Muslims and Moroccans, explaining that the hooligans were criticized due to their provocative behavior and apparent endorsement of the violence in Gaza, not because of their Jewish identity.

"Any attempt to frame this as anti-Semitism is utterly outrageous," she stressed.

Prins accused the Dutch government of weaponizing anti-Semitism to vilify Muslims.

"World War II was committed by white European Christian people. So already the link between blaming Muslims for being anti-Semitic is quite a doubtful thing," she said.

- Far-right influence and Islamophobia

Prins also highlighted the increasing influence of far-right ideologies in Dutch politics, citing Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party as a key example.

"There has been a (UN) report recently which says that the Netherlands is one of the most Islamophobic countries in Europe," she said.

"Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party hasn't been the biggest party just out of nothing," Prins added, pointing to the persistence of Islamophobic attitudes in the Netherlands.

- Media and political bias

Prins criticized the government for exclusively engaging with Zionist Jewish groups such as the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) while sidelining the perspectives of dissenting Jewish voices.

She lamented that the voices of Jews critical of Israel’s policies are rarely heard.

She expressed disbelief that anyone could support a state involved in acts she described as genocide, firmly rejecting the notion that criticizing such actions is equivalent to anti-Semitism.

- Holocaust legacy exploited

As someone whose family suffered during the Holocaust, Prins condemned comparisons between the experiences of Israeli hooligans in Amsterdam and the persecution of Jews during World War II.

She said such comparisons amount to an exploitation of her Jewish identity and history, expressing deep anger and frustration over their use to justify current actions.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul