Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has urged the Jewish population of his country to remain in the Netherlands despite increasing antisemitic hostilities. At a commemoration marking the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht on Monday at the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, he stressed that Jewish life must remain a natural part of Dutch society.
Tijdens de Kristallnacht, 88 jaar geleden, werden Joden in Duitsland getroffen door bruut geweld. Wie daarna in ons land een veilig heenkomen zocht, stond voor een gesloten deur. Die historische verantwoordelijkheid weegt zwaar. Zeker nu het antisemitisme terug is van nooit weggeweest.
Daarover sprak ik vanavond bij de herdenking in de Portugese Synagoge in Amsterdam. Er is geen enkel excuus voor bedreiging en geweld tegen Joodse Nederlanders, hun synagogen, scholen en restaurants. Zij moeten hier in vrijheid en veiligheid kunnen leven. Daarom heeft het kabinet extra geld vrijgemaakt voor de beveiliging van Joodse instellingen en de aanpak van antisemitisme. Joods leven hoort onlosmakelijk bij Nederland, ons gezamenlijke thuis.
Shalom. Vrede, harmonie, heelheid. We kunnen het elkaar niet vaak genoeg toewensen.
Lees hier mijn volledige toespraak: https://t.co/E7FGz1etq3
— Rob Jetten (@MinPres) November 9, 2026
Jetten acknowledged that some Jewish citizens are now considering leaving the country out of concern for their safety and the future of their children. He appealed to them not to give in to these thoughts. The Netherlands is their home, he said, and it must be protected together.
The speech took place as part of the national commemoration of Kristallnacht, which occurred on the night of November 9 to 10, 1938. At that time, the National Socialists destroyed synagogues, Jewish businesses, and homes across Germany and Austria. Jews were murdered, mistreated, and arrested in their tens of thousands.
Jetten recalled that following the November pogroms, numerous German Jews had fled to the Netherlands seeking refuge. Many, however, were turned away at the border. This historical experience, he said, underscores the country’s responsibility to ensure the safety of Jewish citizens today.
The head of government also referenced the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the antisemitic incidents that have increased across Europe since then. He lamented that Jewish Dutch citizens are increasingly confronted with hostility and threats. Particularly alarming, he noted, is that some no longer wish to openly display their Jewish identity out of fear.
Jetten condemned threats and violence against synagogues, Jewish schools, restaurants, and other Jewish institutions. It must not be accepted, he said, that Jewish citizens have to live in fear in their own country.
Greater protection for Jewish life
The Dutch government has allocated additional funds for the protection of Jewish institutions. Jetten made clear, however, that a police presence and security measures alone are not sufficient. Antisemitism must also be firmly confronted at a societal level.
As a personal gesture of solidarity, the Prime Minister reported that he had placed a mezuzah on his own doorframe. The small capsule containing a parchment scroll inscribed with biblical verses is traditionally found on the doorposts of Jewish homes and residences.
Jetten had received the mezuzah — crafted in the style of the famous Delft pottery — as a gift. He noted that some Jews now refrain from displaying a mezuzah visibly on their front door for fear of antisemitic reactions. With his gesture, he wished to show that Jewish life must remain visible in the Netherlands.
Tensions between the Netherlands and Israel
The Prime Minister’s remarks come at a time of strained relations between the Netherlands and Israel. Already in October, Israeli Ambassador Zvi Vapni had described the relations between the two countries as at a “low point”. He also warned of a growing climate of fear among Dutch Jews. Anyone who publicly advocates for Israel, he cautioned, must expect hostility, professional disadvantages, or even physical attacks.
The Dutch government had imposed an import ban at the end of September on products from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Israel responded with diplomatic countermeasures. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar revoked the Israel-issued diplomatic credentials of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah.
Just on Sunday, more than 200,000 people had reportedly taken part in another “Red Line” demonstration against Israel in Amsterdam, according to organizers. The demonstrators called for, among other things, stricter sanctions against Israel and an end to military cooperation. Among the participants were masked activists who openly displayed their support for Hamas on banners.
The chairman of the Central Jewish Council of the Netherlands, Chanan Hertzberger, explicitly addressed the demonstration during the commemoration. He criticized the fact that Dutch Jews are increasingly being held responsible for Israel’s actions.
Hertzberger warned that the accusations directed at Israel have long been having an impact on the lives of Jewish citizens in the Netherlands. Jews are confronted with allegations on the street, in schools, and in their social environment, even though they bear no responsibility for the policies of the Israeli government.
Jetten himself did not mention Sunday’s demonstration in his commemorative address. Instead, he focused on the state’s responsibility to protect Jewish life and to firmly combat antisemitism.
His appeal to the Jewish community also made clear how serious the concerns have become: 88 years after Kristallnacht, Jews in the Netherlands once again find themselves confronted with the question of whether they can still envision their future — and that of their children — in their homeland.
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