Following a soccer match in Amsterdam on November 7th, an anti-Israel mob engaged in what Israeli President Isaac Herzog called an antisemitic pogrom, targeting Jews and Israelis in a “Jew hunt.” Five victims required hospitalization. Further protests on November 11th heightened concerns about rising antisemitism across Europe.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center stated that the Center issued a rare travel advisory for Amsterdam in response. He noted that such advisories could theoretically apply to much of Western Europe due to a perceived lack of sufficient governmental protection for Jewish people and their rights.

Since Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel, antisemitic incidents have dramatically increased. May reports indicated an 800% surge in Sweden, 680% in Spain, 450% in the Netherlands, 442% in the UK, and 433% in France (World Zionist Organization data).

The Amsterdam events triggered further alarm. Belgian authorities arrested five individuals after online calls for a “Jew Hunt” in Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter.

In mid-November, volatile pro-Palestinian protests in Greece prompted the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry to advise Israelis to avoid certain areas and to avoid displaying identifying symbols. Similar incidents had occurred previously; in June, nine Europeans faced deportation following events at the University of Athens School of Law.

A youth soccer team in Berlin was attacked on November 7th by a mob shouting “Free Palestine.” Shortly after, Berlin police advised Jewish and gay residents to exercise caution in Arab-majority neighborhoods due to potential sympathy for terrorist groups.

This widening of at-risk groups in Berlin reflects the warning by Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal that antisemitism rarely ends with Jews.

Amidst the rising hate, Jewish Europeans are adopting self-protective measures such as avoiding visible religious symbols. Rabbi Cooper noted that wearing a kippah in Amsterdam hasn’t been safe for approximately 15 years.

Media reports corroborate these concerns. A Dutch Jew advised against wearing identifying items or carrying Israeli passports while visiting the Netherlands. Irish Jews are similarly removing identifying symbols. In France, some Jewish citizens are removing mezuzahs, avoiding Uber, and changing their names to avoid hate-related targeting. France saw a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023 (1,676 compared to 436 in 2022), leading to a 430% increase in French Jewish emigration applications to Israel compared to 2022.

Rabbi Cooper expressed the pain of seeing Europe pay lip service to the memory of dead Jews without truly addressing the ongoing need to ensure Jewish safety and inclusion.

In response to the situation and the potential impact on American travelers, the U.S. State Department stated that it provides travel information to help citizens make informed decisions, encouraging enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. However, current U.S. travel advisories for the Netherlands, France, UK, Germany, Belgium, and Greece do not specifically address antisemitic hatred.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center hopes the incoming Trump administration will elevate combating antisemitism globally, integrating it into U.S. foreign policy.