A/HRC/43/48/Add.1
failures to recognize antisemitic slurs along with failures of some monitors to accurately
identify antisemitic incidents.
56.
Antisemitic incidents have often occurred in the immediate vicinity of where victims
live, involving slurs from neighbours (about 75 per cent of cases), insults and swastikas or
antisemitic graffiti and threats drawn on walls, mailboxes, memorial sites or personal
property. 68 The Centre for Information and Documentation Israel recorded 7 physical
assaults in 2016 and 2017, including on two Orthodox Israeli tourists, and 49 acts of
vandalism in 2017 and 2018, including graffiti stating “Hamas, all Jews to the gas” in North
Holland.69 In January 2017, Amsterdam District Court convicted four men for carrying neoNazi banners and wearing antisemitic nose stickers in a protest.
57.
Jewish community members face hostility in public spaces, including educational
institutions where some students struggle to observe Jewish holidays while meeting course
requirements. Ritual slaughter and negiah (not shaking hands with the opposite sex) are
viewed sceptically and publicly debated. Those wearing religious symbols and garments
including the kippah have been targets of discrimination or direct confrontation, resulting in
increasing numbers who prefer to hide their Jewish identity, including when seeking
employment. The increasing security need, frequently necessitating communities to protect
themselves, and resulting sense of insecurity especially around Jewish gatherings and
schools, compounded by the authorities’ initial reluctance to provide security, was
frequently raised in interviews with the Special Rapporteur. Some 71 per cent of the 1,209
individuals surveyed by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights considered
public hostility to Jews a “very” or “fairly” big problem; 35 per cent had experienced
harassment and 26 per cent offensive or threatening comments, driving some to consider
emigration.70
58.
With the National Anti-Discrimination Action Programme as a basis, the
Government undertakes a broad range of measures to tackle antisemitism, including in the
context of law enforcement, education and project-based efforts. 71 Various nongovernmental organization and government-led initiatives that advance dialogue and
relationship-building exist, including “Get to know your neighbours” 72 (inviting students
into synagogues, led by the Liberal Jewish Congregation of Amsterdam); “Mo & Moos”
(Mohammad and Moshe, bringing together young Muslim and Jewish professionals, led by
the non-governmental organizations Salaam-Shalom and Platform for Islamic
Organizations in Rijnmond); the government-supported “Saïd and Lody” (a Moroccan
youth worker and a rabbi promoting student connection); and the government-supported
“Building Bridges”, where volunteer teams from different backgrounds, including Judaism,
appeased local tensions. The Anne Frank Foundation’s Fan Coach Project, supported by the
Government, helped reduce antisemitic sentiment among soccer fans. Maintenance and
expansion of Holocaust remembrance centres, including Westerbork, and survivor speaker
school visits are government-funded and Holocaust remembrance is marked annually
across the country.
(e)
Anti-Muslim sentiment
59.
Anti-Muslim sentiment and harassment remain widespread in the Netherlands, 73
despite the policies and programmes the Government has put in place. According to official
statistics, places of worship and members of Muslim communities experience an estimated
88–91 per cent of the hate crimes documented by the police (192 in 2017 and 197 in 2018,
68
69
70
71
72
73
United States Department of State, “2018 report on international religious freedom: the Netherlands”.
Centrum informatie en documentatie Israel, CIDI Monitor Anti-Semitism 2017 – English Summary –
March 2018.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism.
Netherlands, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, National Action Programme for Antidiscrimination: Progress Report to Parliament. Parliamentary Papers, House of Representatives,
2017–2018, 30 950 No. 156 (The Hague, 26 April 2018).
United States Department of State, “2018 report on international religious freedom: the Netherlands”.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Second European Union Minorities and
Discrimination Survey: Muslims – Selected findings (Luxembourg, Publications Office of the
European Union, 2017).
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