The Netherlands witnessed an unprecedented spike in antisemitic incidents in 2024, with a record-breaking 421 cases documented—an 11% increase from the prior peak, according to a report published Thursday by the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) and quoted by JNS.
Labeling the situation a “crisis,” CIDI stated that the country must respond with the seriousness such a development demands. “An antisemitism crisis, which requires crisis management measures,” the watchdog wrote in its official assessment.
Eddo Verdoner, the Dutch government’s National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, expressed grave concern in response to the figures, calling them “shameful.”
He noted that antisemitism in the Netherlands is becoming more visible and accepted in public discourse.
A series of violent antisemitic incidents detailed in the report occurred on November 7 and 8, 2024. During those days, hundreds of Muslim men launched coordinated assaults on Israelis attending a soccer match in Amsterdam involving Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The coordinated nature of the attacks—described by CIDI as the most extensive antisemitic violence in Europe since the Holocaust—has deeply alarmed the Jewish community and wider Dutch society. The events highlighted not only the intense animosity faced by Jews but also the capacity of perpetrators to exploit digital tools to orchestrate violence while avoiding detection.
“The most dramatic increases were seen in public spaces, where antisemitic incidents surged by 45%,” the report noted. Visibly Jewish individuals were most affected, with sharp increases in verbal assaults, threats, and acts of intimidation.
CIDI also reported a 44% rise in vandalism, including the removal of mezuzahs from doorways and the desecration of Jewish cemeteries. Additionally, it said some Jewish university students are refraining from attending lectures due to safety concerns.
Between 2012 and 2022, CIDI recorded an average of 138 antisemitic incidents per year. However, figures over the past two years represent a staggering 305% increase.
CIDI called on Dutch authorities to take a firmer stance, stressing that the current trend must not be allowed to become normalized. “We must not normalize this surge,” a spokesperson said. The organization cautioned that relying solely on Holocaust education is no longer sufficient.
Today, the Jewish population in the Netherlands stands at approximately 40,000—down from about 140,000 before World War II, when the Nazis and their collaborators murdered at least 75% of Dutch Jews during the Holocaust.