A Dutch political activist who left the progressive Volt Netherlands political party over its response to the November pogrom in Amsterdam called upon his former party to publicly apologize for its approach to antisemitism, in general, and the pogrom in particular.
“In the Netherlands, talking about antisemitism gets you in trouble,” said Ariel, who wished to only be known by his first name.
The 23-year-old recounted to The Jerusalem Post how he had been rebuffed when he attempted to convince the Amsterdam branch of Volt to issue a statement against antisemitism.
Ariel described himself as a loyal Volt activist who had handed out flyers, organized events, and did staffing internships for the local party. Antisemitism and identity politics were never at the top of his agenda.
The October 7 massacre was a trigger point, but what truly shocked him was October 8 when protesters expressed favor for Hamas and were “against the hostages.” While antisemitic slurs and violence against the police were common at the beginning and later included harassment of Holocaust events, Ariel didn’t feel responsible or believe he could change anything.
'Worst thing' since October 7
When mobs chanted “cancer Jews” and attacked Jews and Israelis in an allegedly premeditated mass attack, Ariel’s parents and the rest of the Jewish community aided the victims.
“I think that this pogrom was the worst thing that happened to European Jews since October 7,” said Ariel.
Ariel turned to the Volt Amsterdam group chat to propose a statement condemning antisemitism “as a Volt member and a worried Jew.”
The political activist said he was surprised by the negative feedback he received, with party leadership stating that they didn’t know all the facts yet and others dismissing him as acting like a victim.
“Jews in the group stayed silent out of fear,” said Ariel, but another young activist, Hadassah, contacted him, and together, they decided to publish an open letter announcing that they had quit the party.
“As progressive Jewish youth, we joined Volt because we hoped for a middle-left party that shared our values and was truly inclusive. But we don’t see that inclusiveness,” they wrote in their open letter.“We see people who supposedly stand up for all minorities but do not do so when it comes to Jews. It seems as if antisemitism is an opinion, a subject for debate,’ something too controversial to condemn.
“This sentiment resonates throughout the Left, and this worries us deeply. How can it be that our fellow Volt members and politicians look away at the moment when the fear increases enormously because Jews are being hunted in our city?”
After the letter gained traction, Volt contacted them privately to apologize, but Ariel asserts that a public statement against antisemitism needs to be made to change the discourse about antisemitism in the Netherlands.
“Acknowledging antisemitism is not enough,” said Ariel; it was necessary to take a stand against it.
Ariel said that the current norm of antisemitism in the country was unacceptable, with schools and community centers requiring protection by police and walls. He shared that his mother had been harassed by a group of men who heard her speaking Hebrew, with one of them threatening to hit her.
“Amsterdam is the capital of European antisemitism,” said Ariel. “This pogrom is a sign of what is to come in the Diaspora.”