european magazine
Hamas’ terror and pro-Palestinian demonstrations are also triggering fears in Jewish communities in Europe. In Brussels, many people no longer dare to wear the kippah. An organization, on the other hand, relies on encounters.
The Wednesday after the terrorist attacks in Israel – in front of the European Parliament, the Jewish, secular community in Brussels called for a vigil for the Hamas hostages. It is expected to remain the strongest presence of Israeli flags in the Belgian capital, here where the majority of Jews are relatively invisible. But not on this day, in horror and sorrow alongside Israel. Also knowing that they are always included. They are used to a high police presence, it is part of their everyday life.
Also present, very seriously, was Nicolas Zomersztajn, editor of the Jewish newspaper “Regards”. During an encounter a few days later, he says thoughtfully: “It’s not pleasant for anyone, not for adults, not for children, to always be extremely protected, with police everywhere, plainclothes guards protecting us. We didn’t ask for this. We would I’d rather be like everyone else.”
“Anti-Semitism is always latent”
The Jewish Museum is located in the middle of Brussels. Here it was believed that they could get by without guards. Until an assassination attempt in 2014. Four people were shot. “Every crisis in the Middle East, all of these crises, brings out anti-Semitism, which is always latent,” says Zomersztajn. “There is a connection, but it would be a bit too simplistic to see only the connection to the Middle East. That is just the trigger that makes it visible and exacerbates it.”
The increasing violence on the streets is making Jewish identity invisible. Ariella Woitchik from the European Jewish Congress says that Jews in Europe are deeply unsettled.
With every crisis there is always this question: Do we belong here? I hope so because I feel like I’m Belgian, I was born here. I don’t want to live anywhere else. Of course you hope that you will never be forced to leave. History has shown us that sometimes we should sit on packed suitcases. We don’t feel like doing that.
Demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians and with the Israelis…
… dominated the street scene in Brussels in the days after the Hamas terrorist attack.
Is Israel still a safe haven?
But Israel, actually the safe haven for Jews, is hardly an alternative.
As long as governments are on our side, they understand that the fight against anti-Semitism is the fight to preserve European values, that anti-Semitism is a social disease, that it is not the job of Jews to fight it, at least not alone, that Society should be on our side.
The main source of growing anti-Semitism is the Internet. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton finds clear words for this. “Anti-Semitism or justification of terrorism are not opinions, but must be condemned by law, not only offline, but also online.”
A project against ignorance
Immunization against fake news, more education for young people about a complex conflict – that is Simone Susskind’s project. The human rights activist and senator regularly brings young people and teachers from Belgium to Israel. She also shows her groups the occupied territories. And of course the Yad Vashem memorial is on the program.
As she says, Susskind wants to show all sides, not just a black and white image. You would think that the situation today would make her despair, but here she sits, undeterred, with her volunteer helper Younes El Montasser, who is also the deputy school director in Molenbeek. And there are issues to discuss:
In our school we have not yet observed any students taking sides, whether pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian. What we can report is that teachers are asking us for support. They have concerns because they are faced with news that they would like to discuss with students, but they do not feel equipped to do so.
Attack brings back memories of the Shoah
Susskind speaks of the “brutal attack” that the Israelis experienced – “at their home, in their homeland. This has never happened before, and of course the Shoah comes up again, and with it the feeling of existential threat. And At the same time, the Palestinians are again talking about the Nakba, the loss of their land, the Palestinian refugee drama. There are two representations of history, neither of which should be forgotten, but we have to get out of it somehow…”
Simone’s former students have asked for a meeting. At her university, the posters with pictures of the Hamas hostages were systematically torn down.
The girls actually have friends on the Palestinian and Israeli sides, but now they are at a loss. “This triggers hatred that I don’t really understand,” says Flore. “Here, people’s lives are in danger, not the flag of a country.”
But they don’t want to take sides – just like that – either. And that may be a lot of this conflict these days.
You can see these and other reports in the Europamagazin – on Sunday at 12.45 p.m. on Erste.