Amsterdam Centraal, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Several people were detained for trying to interrupt a pro-Israel demonstration at Dam Square in Amsterdam attended by around 2,000 people, police and organizers said.

Despite brief scuffles, the gathering continued in the Dutch capital, amid concern about rising antisemitism following the Sunday killing of 15 people at a Hanukkah event in Australia.

During Wedneday night’s rally in Amsterdam, a Hanukkah candle was lit and a long Israeli flag was unfurled across the square.

Red smoke was released and fake blood thrown by anti-Israel protesters as the flag was displayed, prompting the arrest of four people, police confirmed.

Police were present in large numbers throughout the demonstration.

Among those talking to the crowd was Chris Stoffer, leader of the orthodox Protestant Reformed Political Party (SGP), Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, and Jacques Brunt, one of the organizers.

BIBLICAL MESSAGE HIGHLIGHTED AT RALLY

Quoting from the Bible, Stoffer cited the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

“These words may also be spoken here today, on Dam Square,” Stoffer said. “At a moment when we have come together around Israel — around the Jewish people — around a light that cannot be extinguished.”

He said the rally was held to send a clear message: “We support Israel. We support the Jewish people. And we stand with our Jewish fellow citizens in the Netherlands.”

Applause interrupted his speech as he warned that antisemitism is once again becoming visible in public life.

“Precisely now, it is necessary to be visible,” Stoffer said. “Antisemitism is rearing its head again — on the streets, in schools, at universities, in words, in actions, and even in threats.”

SYDNEY ATTACK CITED AS GLOBAL WARNING

Stoffer said antisemitism is not confined to the Netherlands.

“We are not seeing this only here. Sadly, we are seeing it worldwide,” he noticed, referring to a recent terrorist attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, in which people were killed and others wounded.

“A festival of light became the target of terror,” Stoffer said. “This cuts deep. Very deep.”

He warned that slogans calling for violence against Jews are no longer rhetorical. “They are being put into practice — with violence, fear, and hatred toward Jews, simply because they are Jewish and celebrate their faith.”

“That is the climate in which we live today,” he said. “An unacceptable climate of violence and fear of openly being Jewish.”

JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF GROWING FEAR

Stoffer stressed that Jewish people must never accept this as normal. “Not in Sydney. Not here in Amsterdam. Nowhere in the world.”

“Jewish Dutch citizens must feel safe in their homes, in their schools, in their synagogues — and yes, also here on the streets, on Dam Square,” he said.

Organizer Jacques Brunt said the gathering was especially important at the end of the year, as antisemitic incidents have increased.

He said the Hanukkah observance — the festival of light and perseverance — symbolized resilience and solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community.

Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs warned that fear within the Jewish community has grown and that additional security measures are often required. However, he noted that support from the non-Jewish community has also been strong, which he said was encouraging.

ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS RISE IN NETHERLANDS

Participants began leaving Dam Square from around 9:15 p.m. local time, many departing by bus, police said.

The demonstration was organized by Op de bres voor Israël (“Standing Up for Israel”), which said the event aimed to express solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community in the Netherlands during Hanukkah.

The rally took place amid heightened tensions across Europe linked to the Israel–Hamas war, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.

Jewish organizations in the Netherlands have reported a rise in antisemitic incidents, including harassment, threats, graffiti, and vandalism, since the war began.

Authorities said they would review footage of the disturbances to determine whether further arrests are necessary.

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