Rising antisemitism in Belgium: A call to action

This past week has been marked by alarming and unacceptable violence against Jews across Europe that seems like a flashback to Europe of the last century.

In Amsterdam, a modern-day pogrom unfolded on the eve of the Kristallnacht anniversary as a coordinated series of violent attacks took place across the city all throughout the night. In Berlin that same day, Jewish children were subjected to antisemitic slurs on a soccer field, then chased by a mob wielding knives. In Antwerp, social media buzzed with calls for a chilling “Jew Hunt” and five people were arrested before they could execute their sinister plans.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t normal, but it is exactly what ‘globalize the intifada’ looks like.

Populations across Europe have been radicalized by outrageous propaganda and blood libels pumped into their newsfeeds on a daily basis via outlets like Al Jazeera or accounts tied to Hamas and their sponsors in Tehran. Elected officials, public figures and religious leaders either have repeated the lies or, perhaps even worse, actively opted to say nothing. All the while, latent prejudice spreads into kinetic antisemitism and then explodes in real world violence.

And so, these recent events are shocking but almost unsurprising. A 2023 survey by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights found Jewish communities across the continent cope on a daily basis with the threat of antisemitic violence and feel largely unable to live openly and freely as Jews.

The survey found that more than half of the Jewish community in the EU worry about becoming victims of hate crimes. Three out of four avoid wearing identifiable symbols of their Jewish identity for safety reasons.  One out of three avoid Jewish events out of fear for their security. And this poll was conducted before the eruption of violent antisemitism that immediately followed the 10/7 terror attack of Hamas on Israel. It is hard to imagine what the data would indicate now.

This is because the situation has continued to deteriorate since 10/7. Antisemitic incidents have spiked to historic levels across Europe. In France, home to the largest Jewish community on the continent, anti-Jewish incidents surged tenfold in the three months after 10/7. And this wave has yet to subside; the French Ministry of Interior reported a tripling of incidents when comparing the first half of 2024 to the same period in 2023.

Jewish communities are unnerved by rising antisemitic attitudes among their neighbors.  As part of the J7 Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism, ADL conducted opinion polling in 2024 about antisemitic attitudes in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and Argentina.  The survey revealed that 56 percent of all respondents in these seven countries agreed with the age-old “dual loyalty” trope, or the notion that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home country.

This is just one of several pernicious myths that, rather than dwindling in our modern age, appears to be driving ahead and gaining steam.

So, what can be done? Addressing antisemitism requires a focus on three key areas: security, education, and political leadership. The responsibility for advancing these efforts rests largely with EU member states.

The European Commission has made major contributions to this fight by appointing a European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. The Commission also is funding programs in member states to address antisemitism, bringing together officials and Jewish community leaders to share best practices and identify gaps, and reporting on the progress – or lack thereof – in implementing national strategies and action plans.

Building on these efforts, the European Commission’s latest report noted that only 14 of 27 member states had adopted standalone national strategies against antisemitism, while another 9 addressed antisemitism in their overall anti-racism strategies. The Commission cautioned that some plans mention “antisemitism” in the broader context of anti-racism efforts without addressing its unique challenges.

For example, while racism often is expressed by demeaning people of a certain ethnicities or skin colors, antisemitism often involves conspiracy theories about secret Jewish cabals and or antizionist tropes that delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state and its supporters.

Three countries, however, stand out because they both lack standalone strategies and have not even bothered to integrate antisemitism in their existing anti-racism strategies: Belgium, Lithuania, and Malta. Of these three, Belgium, by far, has the largest Jewish population of about 29,000 people.

In short, one of the oldest cities in Europe and the home of the European Parliament stands out as a laggard, far behind its peers in fighting the oldest hatred within its own borders.

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The government’s inability or unwillingness to recognize and combat the threat of antisemitism is not simply a policy choice or a political maneuver. It amounts to a direct threat to the safety and well-being of the Belgian Jewish community. It has left Belgian Jews feeling alone and at risk.

I fear they may be right.

Just this past April, the Jewish community publicly expressed their exasperation. They wrote in an open letter to Prime Minister Alexander de Croo:

“In recent years, [the Belgian Jewish community] has suffered the effects of ever-increasing antisemitism, which has literally exploded since October 7, 2023 … in the absence of any sign of real empathy, members of our community feel isolated and abandoned, to such an extent that many Jews are wondering about their future in Belgium.”

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The next government has an opportunity to regain the trust of the Jewish community. For that to happen, it must actively and aggressively, combat anti-Jewish hate. A national strategy must be both developed and implemented in coordination with the Belgian Jewish leadership. And beyond a plan, action must follow to protect the basic needs of the local Jewish community.

The alternative is stark.  Even before 10/7, the EU’s Jewish community survey found that 51% of Jews have considered emigrating due to limitations on living openly as Jews. Such an exodus from the heart of Western Europe should be unacceptable in these times. But it could be imminent.

And, make no mistake, this virus would not stop its wrath with the disappearance of the Jews. Antisemitism starts with the Jews, but never ends with the Jews. The malevolent, violent nihilism that currently threatens the Belgian Jewish community is like a raging blaze. If not contained and controlled, its embers will spread and engulf all of Belgian society. The signs are everywhere.

Belgian Jewish leaders have described the terrible dilemma that they face: stay in Belgium and live in a country ostensibly at peace but convulsing with escalating antisemitism, or move to Israel, a country ostensibly at war but with no antisemitism where you can walk in your neighborhood, shop at your market, and attend a football match without fearing for your life. 

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If you were a parent, what would you choose?

I urge the next Belgian government to break from the past and resolve this dilemma.

Make a public commitment and then follow with concrete steps to ensure that Belgian Jews, like all your citizens, have the fundamental right and freedom to live openly, proudly and safely as Jews.

This is not just the right thing to do for your Jewish community – it’s the right thing to do for your country.

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Jonathan A. Greenblatt – CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)