Monday, March 15, 2004

No anti-Semitism here

Recently two reporters from a decidedly leftist weekly magazine decided to test how serious the allegations of renewed anit-Semitism really are in Amsterdam (which used to be the home of a thriving Jewish community until the combined might of German arms and Dutch administrative bureaucracy put an end to that).

All the reporters did was put on a Kippah (a small round skullcap) and walk around the city for a day.
They stopped counting the number of times they were told to "fuck off and die" (closest possible translation from Dutch) or that they were "Kankerjoden" (impossible to translate literally, but it means the person uttering the curse wishes cancer on Jews). Without exception, the well-wishers were of either Moroccan or Turkish descent.
Most (if not all) of the time these people were youthful, sometimes little more than children. No one spoke up in defense. Sometimes the situation actually got threatening.

You don't want to be a Jew in Europe these days. Or at least have it known that you are one.
But there's no new or increased anti-Semitism here. Oh no.

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