Arutz Sheva spoke with Rabbi Binyamin Jacobs, Chief Rabbi at the Inter-Provincial Chief Rabbinate of the Netherlands, at the European Jewish Assocation (EJA) annual conference in Brussels.

Rabbi Jacobs participated in the panel titled "The freedom of religion in Europe – the Netherlands as a snapshot".

The situation in the Netherlands these days is not “dangerous”, he said, but rather “difficult”. The reason for this is growing anti-Semitism.

“When I came 43 years ago to Holland, no one would ever think about calling me ‘dirty Jew’. Today it’s normal. 40 years ago it was unthinkable that Jewish schools would need to have police and soldiers outside. Every Jewish place has police, there’s always protection. They’re not doing it for nothing. The government understands and recognizes [there’s anti-Semitism],” said Rabbi Jacobs.

“When an attack occurs like in America in Pittsburgh, everyone wakes up. Thank God this has not yet happened in Holland,” he added, acknowledging that such an attack “is very possible. Nobody wants it but the police is not protecting us for nothing.”

“I believe that we should not be in panic. I myself am not scared. On the other hand we should be aware there is a dangerous situation,” said Rabbi Jacobs.