Holland acknowledged that anti-Semitism is a major issue in Dutch society and must be confronted head on.
In a first, the Dutch government allocated $3.35 million toward fighting anti-Semitism, designated it a national priority alongside education, immigrant integration, closing gender economic gaps, sustainable economic growth, climate change, food security, reproductive health and security.
The earmarked sum was requested by members of the Christian Union Party (CU). The approval confirms the Dutch government’s commitment to controlling rising anti-Semitism in the Netherlands.
The CU is a primarily Protestant party that bases its policies on biblical and theological principles. It supports freedom of religion, progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues while maintaining socially conservative positions on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
The CU pushed for the funding after intensive media coverage revealed that Jews fear harassment and violence from Arab or Muslim immigrants to Holland.
Though the Dutch government had previously budgeted funds for security at Jewish institutions, this is the first time that specific sums were allocated to fight anti-Semitism.
Last month, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), a Jewish community watchdog group, launched a website to monitor anti-Semitism in Dam Square in Amsterdam. This is the location of a memorial for World War II victims and has become a destination for those who promote boycotts of Israel. At this location, there are often confrontations between those who want to boycott Israel and supporters of Israel.
