A Disturbing Echo from History: The Attack in Amsterdam

The harrowing events that unfolded in Amsterdam on Thursday night, when a premeditated and coordinated pogrom was unleashed against Israeli football fans, should not only send shockwaves across Europe but also serve as a sobering reminder of the continent’s long-standing struggle with antisemitism. The brutal onslaught, spearheaded by a mob of Islamist extremists targeting Jewish individuals in the streets, draws chilling parallels to Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” which saw Nazis unleash violence against Jews across Germany and Austria 86 years ago. This historical echo is impossible to ignore.

Witnesses recounted horrifying scenes where Jewish individuals were forced to pretend to be dead, pushed into rivers and canals, and hunted like prey throughout the city. These incidents serve as a stark warning that we are witnessing the ideological descendants of the Nazis today—the Islamists—acting with an alarming level of hate, violence, and impunity. Exactly 86 years after Kristallnacht, when Nazis and ordinary Germans alike hunted Jews through the streets, we find their ideological successors rampaging through Amsterdam, once again seeking to spill Jewish blood.

Complacency in Confronting Extremism Continues

This attack, alongside the rising tide of violence against Jews across Europe, is a forewarning of a more disturbing reality: Europe is once again failing to protect its Jewish citizens, and its complacency in addressing extremist ideologies is endangering Jewish communities. What makes this particularly haunting is that we are, in many ways, observing history repeat itself; however, this time, Jews no longer have to wait for the world to respond. The comparison to Kristallnacht is not made lightly. That fateful night, November 9-10, 1938, saw the orchestrated murder of hundreds of Jews, the destruction of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, marking the onset of an unprecedented campaign of terror that would culminate in the Holocaust.

Fast forward 86 years, and while we are not witnessing a resurgence of state-sponsored antisemitism, we are indeed witnessing state-sanctioned negligence. It is evident that warnings of this type of violence were present, yet the absence of immediate police presence to prevent it highlights a troubling oversight.

The attacks in Amsterdam remind us how easily hatred can be weaponized, even in liberal democracies. The rise of Islamist extremism in Europe, coupled with the normalization of anti-Israel sentiment that spills over into antisemitism, has created a fertile ground for such violence. What unfolded in Amsterdam was not random; it was part of a larger, premeditated campaign of intimidation and hatred aimed at Jews, one that has escalated over the past year across Europe, especially since the massacre on October 7.

This time, however, Jews are not waiting to see where the tide will lead, as they did in 1939. Many are contemplating leaving, thereby leaving Europe to grapple with the extremism that has been allowed to fester.

How Safe Are We in Europe?

For numerous Jews, the threat of rising antisemitism transcends political rhetoric; it is fundamentally a matter of personal safety. Historically, Jews have been compelled to flee countries where they once felt secure. Now, once again, they find themselves asking the same pressing question: How safe are we in Europe?

This inquiry is not only about the safety of Jewish communities; it also reflects Europe’s capacity, or lack thereof, to confront the growing extremism within its borders. For years, authorities have been slow to recognize the perilous rise of political Islam, and even when they have acknowledged it, efforts to counteract it have often been half-hearted or ineffective. From anti-Israel protests that escalate into violence to incidents of vandalism and physical assaults on individuals and institutions deemed enemies, Europe has frequently hesitated to take strong action against hate speech and violent extremism in ways that would provide genuine protection for both its Jewish and broader populations.

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To prevent another catastrophe, Europe must confront the unsettling reality that it is once again becoming a sanctuary for extremist ideologies that aim to obliterate Jewish life, as well as key elements of European society. This is not an issue that can be dismissed or minimized. The rise of violent antisemitism is not merely a Jewish concern; it is a European one, posing a threat to the very foundations of freedom, democracy, and civil rights in the continent.

The time for decisive action is now. Europe must initiate concrete measures to ensure the safety of its Jewish citizens by addressing the sources of radicalization, cracking down on violent hate groups, and ending the tolerance of antisemitism in all its forms. Jews should not have to live in fear for their lives merely because of their identity, and Europe must unequivocally convey that hatred will not be permitted on its streets.

The lessons of history are unmistakable: hatred, once allowed to fester, can swiftly devolve into violence and terror. Europe must act before it is too late, and Jews must be assured that their safety will no longer be subjected to political expediency or denial. If Europe fails to take decisive action, it will inevitably have to confront the consequences of its inaction, just as it did in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Sacha Roytman Dratwa is the CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
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