Forty-three per cent of Dutch Jews say they hide their ethnic identity

Nearly half of 557 respondents in a survey of Dutch Jews said they were afraid of identifying as such in public.

Of the respondents, 43 percent said they take active steps to hide their Jewish identity, such as wear a hat over their kippah or hide Star of David pendants.

Many respondents cited their perception of a rise in the prevalence of antisemitic sentiment, with 48 percent saying they avoid situations where they suspect they may be exposed to antisemitic reactions.

• 52 percent of respondents say antisemitism on the street has become more common; 59 percent say it extends also to media and 82 percent see it rising online.
• 34 percent said they had experienced antisemitic remarks directed against them; of those, 89 percent said that those remarks were connected to Israel.
• 11 percent of respondents said they had experienced antisemitic violence directed against them.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they heard antisemitic jokes, featuring stereotypes about Jews. Other jokes involved the Holocaust. One respondent said a neighbor once told him that the only reason the respondents is living in the Netherlands is “because they forgot to gas” his family.

The poll was conducted by the Een Vandaag television show of the NPO 1 channel with the JMW Jewish group and the Central Jewish Board of the Netherlands.

Photo Credits: eurojewcong.org