DUTCH JEWS, DUTCH GENTILES

Not surprisingly, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands has increased sharply in recent months, peaking during Operation Cast Lead.
Anti-Semitism has never been absent from Dutch society, and has waxed markedly since the sixties. By the nineties, one could definitely speak of hostility and intimidation.
One could also speak of official apathy.


THE OTHER

Representatives of the 'other', in Dutch society, are always representatives of ALL of the 'other', of ALL of the worst of the 'other', and often, ONLY of the worst of the 'other' - that which is seen as good is exceptional, not representative.

Traditionally, in Dutch Christian circles, the Jews were blamed for the death of Christ. Even among non-Catholics, the role of the Romans in that tale has customarily been excused, and Dutch churchmen, whether Catholic or Calvinist, cannot ever be said to veer towards impartiality. This judgementalism has carried over generously to even the non-religious.

Not only Jews, but also Moroccans, Turks, Indonesians, Surinamers Germans, and other non-generics - all have in Dutch society been identified as prime representatives of something signally reprehensible and non-Dutch. More reprehensible, in fact, precisely by virtue of being non-Dutch.
It is a mark of blending-in to humbly acknowledge the correctness of that view, and adopt as one's own the intellectual habitus supporting the process.

Hence the Dutch (and the Dutch Muslim community) blame individual Jews for all of the perceived wrongs in the Middle-East.


THE DUTCH JEW

Anyone who identifies as Jewish is both personally responsible for whatever any Jew has ever done, and fits in best in Dutch society if they act according to expectation - namely, as a perfect saint-victim.

What is particularly galling is that the Dutch Jewish community is nearly invisible - 45 thousand at maximum count, of which one third are only part Jewish.
Thirty thousand Jews is a better estimate, although those who are observant are probably far, far less than that (a few thousand at max).
Less than a third of a percent of the population are Jewish. And all Dutch Jews are fully assimilated.

So finding a Dutch Jew to blame for the all the ills of the world takes effort.


THE HAGUE

The Dutch government, of course, will take no responsibility for the increase in hate, intimidation, threats, or actual violence, even though it is the pronunciamentos of politicians and parliamentarians that have been conducive to the poisoned atmosphere.
When the Dutch Jewish community has finally emigrated and left entirely, they will bemoan their departure, saying "we were so good to them, we cannot fathom why they deserted us". It will be entirely the fault of the departees, not of the social environment - which, being Dutch, is of course safeguarded from any reproach.

The Dutch in the 21st century have plenty of candidates to fill the role of 'other'.
Even 'separateness' in Dutch society has a multitude of contemporary examples that can be highlighted cautionarily for rhetorical or political effect. Socio-culturally, there is no role left in Dutch society which uniquely requires Jews.
Dutch Jews have become expendable.


This blogger, of course, would gladly have them all move over here.
I need Dutch speakers in my vicinity with whom I can get along.