Parliament wants 25 April to be national day against anti-Semitism

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, wants April 25 to be the national day against anti-Semitism. Every year around that date, the Tweede Kamer must also hold a plenary debate on anti-Semitism. JA21’s proposal to this effect is widely supported by the Kamer, became apparent during a parliamentary debate on Thursday.

The increasing anti-Semitism requires “continuous political attention,” said Joost Eerdmans (JA21). His motion to declare April 25 as the national day against anti-Semitism was co-signed by the PVV, VVD, NSC, BBB, SGP, ChristenUnie, and CDA. A large parliamentary majority supports the plan.

Almost the entire Kamer, except for the absent FvD, also supported a motion that perpetrators of anti-Semitism get an educational punishment as a special condition on a sentence imposed by the court. That could be a mandatory visit to the National Holocaust Museum or a WWII concentration camp.

“In theory, a judge can do this, but in practice, such educational measures are rarely imposed,” said initiator Mpanzu Bamenga (D66). His motion, filed with the VVD, asks Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz to investigate what is standing in the judges’ way.

Anti-Semitism in the Netherlands has been rising for a while, but there’s been a significant increase since the violence between Israel and Hamas flared up in October. The police received 880 reports of anti-Semitism last year, over 300 more than in 2022.