Worthy Christian News > World News > Dutch King Urges Jews Not To Leave After ‘Pogrom’ And Other Attacks

Dutch King Urges Jews Not To Leave After ‘Pogrom’ And Other Attacks

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from the Netherlands

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (Worthy News) – Dutch King Willem-Alexander urged the Dutch Jewish community on Christmas Day to remain in the Netherlands despite concerns about mounting antisemitism.

He made the appeal following what Jewish representatives view as the Netherlands’ “first pogrom” since World War Two. The November unrest erupted in Amsterdam after its football team Ajax took on Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv when mainly Moroccan Muslim crowds launched a “Jews hunt.”

The violence caused outrage in Israel and elsewhere, with Israel at one point saying it would send over planes to rescue its citizens.

Chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer said earlier this month that officials received 60 to 70 formal complaints from Israel and that “several dozen” people appear to have been attacked.

The first five defendants, whose ages ranged from 19 to 32, were convicted Tuesday on charges that included public violence, theft, and assault.

Authorities acknowledged that Israeli soccer fans were seen chanting anti-Arab slogans and removing a Palestinian flag but said that did not justify the anti-Jewish violence.

Although it was the latest in a series of incidents upsetting Jewish people, including survivors of the Holocaust or Shoah, King-Willem Alexander suggested that emigrating to Israel wasn’t the answer.

UNDERSTANDING PAIN

However, in his annual televised Christmas address from the “Huis Ten Bosch” palace in The Hague, he made clear he understood their pain. “In Amsterdam, students from the Jewish Maimonides school shared what it’s like to study in a place surrounded by security fences. They explained how they try to keep a low profile on the street and public transport. Simply being yourself and peacefully showing who you are should be natural for everyone in the Netherlands. But sadly, it’s not.”

Yet despite the difficulties, he said: “To Jewish Dutch people who tell me they doubt their future here, I say: stay! We belong together.” There are about 30,000 Jews in the Netherlands, where more than 100,000 Jews were killed in the Shoah.

However, the king quickly added, “To Dutch Muslims, I say: this is your country too,” amid a broader debate about massive migration from often Islamic countries. He said that they, too, should realize that “every person is of equal worth.”

In the Netherlands, he said, “Everyone is free to find solace and inspiration in their own faith or life philosophy. Everyone is free to express themselves. Christians, Jews, Muslims, humanists, atheists—however you see the world, every person is of equal worth.”

He said he also understood Palestinian Dutch people who are concerned about the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, last year.

“In [the Dutch town of] Vlaardingen, my wife and I spoke with a group of Palestinian Dutch people. Sixty years ago, the first of them came to our country to work in a margarine factory. They built their lives here with their children and grandchildren. They shared their fears about the fate of family members in their homeland. Their stories spoke of helplessness and despair. Again and again, I am touched by the personal pain that resonates in these accounts.”

While “Solving the world’s great problems and bitter conflicts is beyond our power,” it was crucial “that bitterness and hatred do not take root in our streets. We can stand firm against anything that seeks to divide us”, he stressed.

BASIC RULES

Yet he said it begins “with respecting the basic rules that apply here in the Netherlands,” an indirect reference to violent protests including against Israel and Jewish people. “Everyone is equal under the law. Discrimination is not allowed. And we do not use violence, even when we feel hurt or wronged. These principles are non-negotiable and apply to everyone, always.”

He told the Jewish people and other Dutch citizens, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all the people. This is what the angel said to the shepherds on Christmas Night.”

He added, “Good news for all people. Christmas excludes no one. Everyone is welcome and belongs. That includes you.”

The king noticed that “God’s Son comes into a broken world and brings us peace. Looking at the many fractures in our world, it’s easy to deeply long for that peace. And how far away we are from it right now!”

He acknowledged that “Tensions are palpable, internationally and within our own country. This restlessness makes us uneasy. Where do you find stability? Who can you still trust? Many people feel misunderstood, unwanted, and unprotected.”

However, “Christmas—celebrating a new beginning—invites us to use this powerfully. The apostle Paul offered a simple advice in his letter to the Romans: Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn,” the king said. “If we take this to heart, we bring a more beautiful world just a little bit closer.”