The Broken Promise of ‘Never Again’: JEWS UNDER ATTACK in Amsterdam
In Amsterdam yesterday, Jews and Israelis were violently hunted by mobs. Videos on social media captured the horrifying scenes—some individuals chased with knives or kicked in the ribs, while others fled for their lives. At least 10 are seriously injured, and at least one attempted abduction was reported.
Before you check this article’s publish date, yep, this is in 2024.
Worse- this is not rare. It is just one example of the threats and attacks to Jews and Israelis in public settings—forcing us to ask the question we dread: How much has really changed?
Even in the wake of the Holocaust, despite the promises of “Never Again” that echoed across the world in 1945, Jews still live in constant fear of persecution. We prayed history would teach future generations to never let the Holocaust's precursors happen again. Yet, here I am, writing about another attack, this time in europe instead of one of the 10,000 antisemitic incidents that occurred between October 7, 2023, and September 2024 in America.
Outside of the myriad of death threats I receive on social media, I’ve also had strangers comment that I have a “victim mentality” and am making it worse than it truly is. But is it really a victim mentality when the threats have been there for generations and continue to be? Is it really not valid to feel this way when Jews are being kicked in the head, taunted, and threatened for no reason other than their religion or ethnicity?
Apparently it is. As our pain and experience is belittled and diminished, or ignored altogether. We are told that our suffering is not as important as that of other marginalized groups—that we are somehow “privileged” because of the color of our skin (ignoring the fact that many Jews are people of color). We are told that the violence against us is justified or that we are somehow the catalysts of every issue in the world.
What I already pondered but is now cemented is that "Never Again" was never true. The truth is, we are still fighting for our survival and acceptance. Many Jews, particularly those who speak openly about Israel and their Jewish identity, find themselves targeted, harassed, and even physically attacked. Jews hesitate to wear their cultural garb like tzitzit or kippot in public because of the threats to their safety, and Israelis and Jews fear speaking in public in their language because someone might recognize it as Hebrew and kill them. Crazily enough, it's not just a fear; it's a valid possibility.
We, like any other group, deserve to live without fear of being attacked, vilified, or murdered simply because of who we are.
It’s insane—and deeply telling—that in 2024, acknowledging the reality of this violence is somehow considered a "hot take."
