Discrimination reports up 33%; Sharp increase in anti-Semitism
The police registered 8,990 reports of discrimination last year, 33 percent more than in 2022, RTL Nieuws reports based on a draft document from the government, police, and the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. The report notes a striking increase in anti-Semitism reports - from 549 in 2022 to 880 in 2023 - since the Hamas attacks in Israel and Israel’s responding war on the Gaza Strip.
The most common form of discrimination in the Netherlands is racism. Almost half of the reports involved discrimination based on ethnicity or physical characteristics. Discrimination based on sexual orientation came in second place with 28 percent of cases. The report notes that a remarkable number of trans people faced discrimination last year.
The report also specifically noted a striking rise in anti-Semitism since the increase in violence in the Middle East. The National Rapporteur against anti-Semitism and teachers have also reported more hatred against Jewish people since Israel started bombing the Palestinian territories.
The Dutch authorities attribute the increase in discrimination reports partly to the continued social, political, and media attention to the subject. The police are also paying more attention to anti-Semitism.
