threat report blew

Threat Report July 2014‘Terrorism as a threat to the Jewish Community

in the Netherlands’,

Bij Leven en Welzijn Foundation

July 2014

Threat report July 2014

ForewordThe situation is critical and the only short-term solution is adequate security

The Bij Leven En Welzijn Foundation (BLEW) herewith presents its first Threat Report on the situation regarding the Jewish Community in the Netherlands. The purpose of this report is to identify the threats facing the Jewish community in the Netherlands. In addition to outlining the most important factors which determine the threat situation, we introduce the BLEW index, a tool which provides an objective measurement of the threat level at any given moment in time. To that end we use the formula: 'Threat = Probability + Risk'.The report covers the situation over the last two years. The reason for this is that since 2012 the security situation has significantly deteriorated, due to the increasing number of jihad fighters (and returnees) of European origin. Upon return to Europe that jihadism is normally directed against Western targets, in particular, American and Israeli. Seeing that in Europe, American and Israeli targets (such as consulates, embassies and information centres) are under high security, a more interesting and achievable goal from a perpetrator's perspective is a Jewish soft target such as a synagogue, school or museum – which, for many, is synonymous with an Israeli target.

Moreover, the situation is all the more dangerous because the thousands of foreign jihadists now returning to Europe are well trained, and are not bound by borders between member states. Besides, it would prove impossible for Intelligence services to monitor them on a permanent basis.

These and other factors have been incorporated into the BLEW monitor: our conclusion is that the threat level must be classified as ‘critical’ and that the security and safety needs of the Jewish community are greater than ever.

As far back as 2012 BLEW informed the relevant government authorities that the security situation regarding the Jewish community in the Netherlands was becoming critical. At the time, the relevant government authorities did not share that reading of the situation. In the wake of attacks on Jewish institutions in neighbouring countries (in Toulouse in 2012 and recently in Brussels) and the ever-increasing number of jihadists returning predominantly from Syria, the AIVD [Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service] published the following report at the end of last June entitled: 'Transformatie van het jihadisme in Nederland' (Transformation of jihadism in the Netherlands). Our conclusions are consistent with theirs. The Dutch jihadist movement is stronger than ever and poses an increasing threat to national security in general and to the Jewish community in particular. We therefore believe that this report will make an important contribution both to raising awareness of the security situation in general and to shedding light on the situation facing the Jewish community in the Netherlands.

At the moment of publication there is an ongoing Israeli military operation, Protective Edge, in the Gaza Strip. The operation was begun to stop Hamas from continually firing rockets from Gaza on Israel and put a stop to terrorist attempts to infiltrate Israel via tunnels. A concrete analysis of the above situation is not included in this report, but (inter)national developments already show that there is, also in the Netherlands, a clear relationship between military tensions in the Middle East and manifestations of anti-Israel sentiment in the form of outbreaks of anti-Semitism.

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Dennis Mok, Chairman Stichting Bij Leven en Welzijn Foundation

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Table of contents

Foreword 2

Table of Contents 4

1. Summary and conclusions 5

2. Analysis 6

3. Terrorism 10

Incidents 2013 11

Incidents January 2014 - June 2014 inclusive 13

Syria 14

4. Anti-Semitism 16

The Netherlands – anti-Semitic incidents statistics 17

Antisemitism on the Internet 2013 18

Damage and desecration 19

Phyical violence 20

5. Politics 23

The Netherlands 23

Europe 23

6. Conclusion 25

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1. Summary and conclusions

The findings set out below are made on the basis of a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the current situation in the Netherlands. Where relevant, the situation in surrounding countries has been incorporated into the report.

Our analysis reveals the following:

- The threat level to the Jewish community in the Netherlands is critical: the BLEW index shows that it scores 76.5/100.

- The current risk of a potential terrorist attack is extremely high in view of the large number of active Dutch (and European) combatants and supporters of the various jihadist militant groups as well as the undiminished threat from 'classical' terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah.

- The operational security department has observed an increase in possible preparatory acts such as information gathering, indicative of possible future attacks.

- Over the last three years there have been four attacks globally, with fatal consequences, directed specifically at Jewish communities. Furthermore, many attacks at various stages of preparation have been foiled.

- BLEW sees in the Netherlands a disproportionately large breeding grounds for anti-Semitism as well as a political acceptance of the blurring of the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

- Since March 2013 the threat level in the Netherlands stands at ‘substantial’, the second-highest level on the NCTV (National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism) scale.

Therefore, it is, our opinion that:

- The Dutch government needs to ensure that the Jewish community will not degenerate into the weakest link, thus becoming the soft target of Jewish communities in Europe. In comparison with surrounding countries the current approach of the Dutch government can be classified as reactive.

- In the short term, it is necessary to implement higher security measures for the protection of the Jewish community, its agencies and (religious) institutions in order to withstand the critical level at which the current threat stands. In the longer term, national governments within Europe will have to take concerted action to combat terrorism.

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2. AnalysisThe level of threat to the Jewish community in the Netherlands is critical.

Method The present report, ‘Terrorism as a threat to the Jewish Community in the Netherlands’, comprises a review of the registration of incidents and developments in 2013 and the first half of 2014. On the basis of official statistics from the Centre Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI), the Discrimination on the Internet Reporting Centre (MDI) in the Netherlands, the Community Security Trust (CST) and the Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive (SPCJ) in England and France, respectively, an endeavour has been made to compile a clear account of anti-Semitism in the recent past. Moreover, comparisons are made and trends shown for the period 2011 - 2013. Use was made of open-source information in the analysis of incidents and trends during 2014.

By linking officially registered incidents to recent developments in global terror and evaluating the findings of the operational security department of BLEW, an analysis has been made, assessing the current threat situation facing the Jewish community in the Netherlands. BLEW has devised a quantitative index to support the analysis of qualitative data, thus enabling the level of threat to the Jewish community in the Netherlands to be expressed numerically. The BLEW index acts as a point of departure for the threat analysis, whereby the ranking per element is substantiated by qualitative arguments. The analysis utilizes the results obtained from BLEW's quantitative index, further substantiated by qualitative analysis. For source information see Chapters 3-5 of this report.

BLEW indexThe purpose of the BLEW index is to assess the threat of a possible terrorist attack on the Jewish community in the Netherlands. To assess the threat, the probability and level of risk of a terrorist attack are measured separately. Both elements are measured on a scale from 0-50; the scores thus obtained are then added together to determine the total score ranging from 0-100.The index is periodically updated at intervals coinciding with the publication of the BLEW threat report . The formula used is:

FORMULA: THREAT = PROBABILITY + RISK

The table below shows the score per element on the BLEW index.

BLEW index July 2014

PROBABILITY SCORE1 Potential terrorism 92 Attacks assessment 83 Anti-semitism 84 Threat level NL 75 Relative level of security* 8

RISK

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1 Human damage 9.52 Material damage 43 Psychological damage 94 Departure from the Netherlands 95 Level of crisis management* 5

TOTAL 76.5/100*The relative security level and crisis management level are elements whereby a reverse order count is applicable i.e. a high count means a low score and therefore a lower probability of risk.

Based on the above score, the threat level is determined by reference to the table below:

TOTAAL SCORE THREAT LEVEL00 - 30 WHITE / MINIMUM30 - 50 YELLOW / ELEVATED50 - 70 ORANGE / SUBSTANTIAL70 - 100 RED/CRITICAL

With a score of 76.5 the current situation is deemed to be 'critical'.

Qualitative analysisThe year 2013 and the first half of 2014 are characterized by a rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents and in the number of Europeans joining the jihad in Syria. Terrorist experts in the Netherlands recognise that the size of such groups is large and that jihadist activity is at an extremely high and dangerous level. The monitoring by intelligence services of such large numbers of potential terrorists, moving easily between country borders, is a virtually impossible task of mammoth proportions. In March 2013 on the basis of available information on Islamic jihad fighters, the NCTV (National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism) decided to increase the Netherlands threat level to ‘substantial’, the second-highest threat level on the NCTV's classification list. The threat emanating from the ever-increasing group of jihad fighters is extremely high, whereby, as appears from jihadist propaganda and recent attacks, American, Israeli and Jewish targets are primary goals. The war in Syria sees the radicalization of Western jihadists who have undergone military training by such groups as the Al-Nusra Front and ISIS (Islamist State in Iraq and al-Sham) . In March 2012 the favoured goal of a jihadist fighter, who returned radicalized and having undergone military training, turned out to be an attack on the Jewish community, as evidenced by the attack on the Jewish Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse, carried out by the French jihadist, Mohammed Merah, in which he murdered four people. Tens of radicalized jihadists with military experience are expected to return from Syria over the next few years. The threat to the Jewish community in connection with this was also demonstrated by the attack in May 2014 on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, in which four people were murdered in cold blood by Mehdi Nemmouche. He was a French jihad fighter who returned from Syria where he had gained military experience, and was arrested a week after committing the attack, his weapons found wrapped in an ISIS flag. These attacks and their perpetrators clearly demonstrate the link between jihadism and the threat to the Jewish community

According to statistics from the AIVD (the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service), more than 130 people left the Netherlands for Syria; however, the jihadist movement in the Netherlands still has hundreds of supporters and thousands of sympathisers as well1. Their sympathisers also

1 AIVD, June 2014; Transformatie van het jihadisme in Nederland

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pose a real threat: by being continuously exposed to propaganda and the glorification of violent jihad, they show an increasing willingness to commit acts of violence. The threat, however, does not come exclusively from returning Dutch jihadist fighters. It is the cross-border character of the jihadist threat which, according to the NCTV, creates a situation in which the threat emanates both from the tens of jihadists returning to the Netherlands and from the hundreds of jihadists returning all over Europe. The NCTV also reports that Jewish locations are more likely to be the target of any such terrorist attack2. In view of the above, the NCTV considers that an attack specifically targeting the Jewish community in the Netherlands is highly conceivable3.

In spite of the structural presence of security measures financed by the Jewish community itself, the likelihood of an attack on the Dutch Jewish community is increasing. Where the governments of neighbouring countries guarantee a structural commitment and a proactive approach, the Dutch government did not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation facing the Jewish community until the motive for the attack in Brussels became apparent. Even so, the specific situation in the Netherlands is extremely serious and the Jewish community must be guarded against becoming the weakest link and therefore the soft target of Jewish communities in Europe. The structural presence of specially trained police units for the protection of Jewish institutions can offer an effective solution to this, as was shown by the prevention of an attack in Paris on 14 June 2014 (see paragraph: 'Incidents January to June 2014').

Figure1: threat pyramid

The starting point of our analysis is that threat comprises specific structural elements, which is best presented in the form of a pyramid (figure 1). At the foot of the pyramid is (passive) anti-Semitism. In a climate where anti-Semitic sentiment is not only growing but also acceptable, it creates a breeding grounds for demonstrations, an early indicator of rising opposition to the Jewish community.

Unlike other countries there has been a perceptible rise in anti-Semitism in the Netherlands, whereby the presence of anti-Semitism material on the Internet, which is disproportionately high in relation to the size of the Jewish community, is a cause for concern. An example of this is the Boycott, Desinvestments and Sanctions movement (BDS), which takes an explicit anti-Zionist stance

2 NCTV, 30-6-2014; Threat situation Terrorism in the Netherlands 363 Letter from the mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard Van der Laan, to the City Council of Amsterdam, 5-6-2014; Measures for [protecting] Jewish property in Amsterdam

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Terror

Violenceew

Damage & Desecration

Demonstrations(Passive) Antisemitism


in addition to voicing such expressions on the Internet during inter alia Jewish events. Its members also specifically hold Dutch Jews responsible for political developments in Israel, which is de facto anti-Semitic in nature. The outcome is to facilitate the blurring of the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, which blurring is having a major impact on the views of young people. In this way an incident in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict comes to have a direct bearing on the security situation of the Jewish community, inter alia, by means of an increase in anti-Semitic sentiment and in the number of demonstrations held. The next stage in this model is the shift to physical expressions against (purported) Jewish property, the category 'Damage and Desecration'. From that point, it is just a small step from a violent physical attack on a Jewish individual to the ultimate act of violence, a terrorist attack.

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3. Terrorism

This chapter is exclusively devoted to the discussion of Muslim extremism, including jihadist terrorism. Other terrorist movements are outside the scope of the discussion in the absence of relevance to the Jewish community. An exception to this is an attack in the United States specifically targeting Jews, see paragraph on 'Incidents January to June 2014'.

General speaking, there has been a perceptible departure from primarily ‘generic’ mass casualty attacks, such as the ones in Madrid (2004), London (2005) and Mumbai (2008), towards attacks that are directed specifically at 'soft' targets. Below are several examples of Jewish and Israeli objects and individuals that were the target of attacks in the past few years, such as the ones in Toulouse (France), 2012, Burgas (Bulgaria), 2012 and Brussels (Belgium) in 2014. Recent Europol reports extensively discuss the threat posed by radicalized Muslim extremists who are increasingly active, inter alia, on account of their actual involvement in the armed struggle. Whereas in and around 2011 radicalisation via the Internet was the main cause for concern, the last few years has been characterized by the ever more prominent role played by increasingly violent individuals or groups, operating independently, who are inspired by the radical form of Islam4.

In 2013 the number of attacks linked to jihadist terrorism increased globally: the bombing of the Boston marathon, the brutal murder of a British soldier in London, followed by the stabbing of a French soldier in Paris a few days later, to name but a few.

Many terrorist groups target the United States, the West and Israel from an Islamic perspective. Where actual and failed attacks are concerned, it often appears that specific Israeli and American targets (airlines, embassies, consulates, other companies and agencies) are so well-guarded that they are no longer a viable target. Over the past few years the United States has been able to foil several attacks on Jewish institutions that were in various stages of preparation5.

However, in the eyes of (jihadist) terrorist organisations and their ideology, the Jewish community is equated with Zionism and the State of Israel. Seen from that perspective, those terrorists view buildings, institutions and persons belonging to the Jewish community as legitimate and relatively easy targets.

Recent examples of this blurring of lines are, inter alia, the series of attacks by Pakistani jihadists in Mumbai in 2008, during which, in addition to diverse 'general' targets (including hotels, a train station, a police station and a hospital), there was also a specific Jewish goal: a Jewish community centre, a so-called Chabad house, a semi-public building run by a global Jewish religious organization.

4 Europol: TE-SAT 2011, TE-SAT 2012, TE-SAT 2013, TE-SAT 20145 The Heritage Foundation, 22-7-2013: Special Report #137, 60 terrorist plots since 9/11: Continued Lessons in Domestic Counterterrorism

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In March 2012 an attack was carried out on a Jewish school in Toulouse, in the course of which a French jihadist shot dead three children and one parent. The same man had in a previous attack shot and killed several [French] soldiers before deciding to attack the school. In July of the same year there was an attack on Burgas airport in Bulgaria, whereby a bus carrying Israeli tourists was blown up. Hezbollah was held responsible for the attack, which was carried out by two individuals, an Austrian and a Canadian, both of Lebanese origin. Incidentally, that attack coincided with the 18th anniversary of the attack in 1994 on the Jewish community in Argentina6, which left 85 dead and more than 300 wounded.

Incidents 2013As far as terrorism is concerned, in 2013 the focus of almost the whole of Western Europe was firmly fixed on the conflict in Syria and the surrounding region. The AIVD first raised public awareness about the number of youngsters joining the armed struggle at the end of January, and since then there has been a lot of media attention on the subject7. This report later devotes a separate paragraph to Syria, which discusses the numbers, the background and motivation of the youngsters referred to and the threat emanating from the various factions they join.

In 2013 terror-related incidents occurred that specifically targeted the Jewish community in nearby countries. Here follows a brief overview:

Great BritainIn April a group of 11 men were arrested in connection with several potential bomb attacks in which synagogues were specifically mentioned.8

CyprusA 24-year-old man of Swedish-Lebanese origin was found guilty of being involved in preparations for an attack in Cyprus.9 Israeli tourists were the target. However, he also admitted gathering information for the same organization on a number of other locations in Europe: he was specifically interested in kosher restaurants. It later turned out that in the course of his preparatory activities he had, inter alia, also visited Amsterdam10. The same man was arrested 11 days prior to the attack in Burgas in 2012.

ItalyA 22-year-old man was found guilty of planning attacks on a synagogue and Jewish school in Milan. Investigators found on his computer analyses of the security measures for both the synagogue and the school. Moreover, he was suspected of having set up various secret radicalization networks on social media.11

6 Wikipedia: AMIA bombing7 AIVD: Annual report 20138 BBC News, 26-4-2013: Terror plot: Jail terms for Birmingham bomb plotters9 New York Times, 21-3-2013: Hezbollah Courier Found Guilty in Plot to Attack Israeli Tourists in Cyprus10 New York Times, 21-3-2013: Hezbollah Courier Found Guilty in Plot to Attack Israeli Tourists in Cyprus11 Jerusalem Post, 29-7-2013: Moroccan jailed for Milan synagogue bomb plot

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TurkeyA group of terrorists affiliated to Al Qaida were arrested for planning an attack on inter alia a synagogue in Istanbul. During a search of the premises, 22 kilos of explosives and analyses of synagogue security measures were also found.12

In addition to the above, attacks on targets in inter alia Kano (Nigeria)13, Kathmandu (Tibet)14, Baku (Azerbaijan)15, Bangkok (Thailand), and Mombasa en Nairobi (Kenya) were prevented 16. The targets were Jewish schools, synagogues and Israeli embassies. In addition, a series of coordinated attacks were foiled in New Delhi (India), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Bangkok (Thailand)17.

Furthermore, in 2013, the BLEW operational security department signalled a rise in preparatory acts in the Netherlands – namely, possible reconnaissance activities – in the vicinity of schools, synagogues, social institutions etc. of the Jewish community.

Soft targetsOf the 'classical' terror organisations Hezbollah seems to have been especially active in Europe, as has emerged from, inter alia, statements made by one of its members arrested in Cyprus.18 It appears that different security services had until then underestimated the level of activity maintained by Hezbollah. Various statements confirm that the focus of these activities was on so-called 'soft' targets of the Jewish community.

The term soft targets is specifically understood to mean those objects or organisations with a (semi-) public character, where there is little or no visible preventive security such as physical security measures, or highly visible security staff. The analysis of diverse attacks or preparatory acts prior to an attack shows that it was without fail the 'weakest links' within a community that would-be perpetrators automatically earmarked as soft targets. And so, as has been proved in the past, a combination of the abovementioned elements of security can lead to a change of target or even to the complete shelving of plans for an attack.

12 New York Times, 11-4-2013: U.S. Embassy in Turkey Said to be Targeted13 WADR, 4-8-2013:Kano suspect confirms terror cell14 Haaretz, 23-4-2013: Iranian suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy arrested in Nepal15 Jerusalem Post, 21-11-2013: Azerbaijan arrests Iranian suspected of planning attack on Israeli embassy in Baku16 CST, Annual Review 2013: Terrorism Against Jews 201317 CST, Annual Review 2013: Terrorism Against Jews 201318 CTC Sentinel West Point, Vol. 6 Issue 4 (April 2013): Hizb Allah Ressurected: The Party of God’s Return to Tradecraft

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Incidents January to June 2014In the first half of 2014 the news headlines were dominated by the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels in May of that year. Four people were shot dead in the first-ever attack in Europe by a Syrian foreign fighter. The suspect was a 29-year-old Frenchman who, according to the French Intelligence service, spent the summer of 2013 in Syria, where he underwent training and participated in several combat operations. On his arrest his weapons (a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a hand gun) were found wrapped in an ISIS flag.What is significant is that the attack was not a suicide attack, nor an attack aimed at causing the greatest number of fatalities. In contrast to the above, the perpetrator had chosen to enter a low-security museum and to shoot and kill three people 'in the blink of an eye'. A fourth victim died later as a result of his injuries. The attacker had clearly elected to make a soft target his goal, especially when bearing in mind that the well-protected Great Synagogue of Brussels is only a short distance away from the museum. Also, the perpetrator took the trouble to disguise his appearance so as not to be recognized and actually planned his escape. He had probably arranged a hiding place for himself or received help from a third party subsequent to the attack. Upon his arrest, the large supply of ammunition recovered together with his modus operandi suggest that he intended to commit further attacks. A salient detail, by the way, is that the perpetrator attempted to film his actions by means of a portable camera device attached to his clothes. The same holds true for the 2012 attack on a likewise unprotected Jewish school in Toulouse19, which leads us to believe that the images were intended for training and propaganda purposes.

With respect to public opinion in Europe, the attack in Brussels was an immediate eye-opener to the actual threat posed by jihad returnees and their terrorist potential. Again, the fact that a Frenchman, having spent time in Syria, via various European countries, eventually committed an attack in Brussels, offers a new perspective on the international threat emanating from jihadists returning to Europe. Open borders coupled with the impossible task of monitoring each individual, play straight into the hands of potential terrorists.

Here follows an overview of other incidents in 2014, of which all have in common that a Jewish community was the target:

France:

- In Paris on 14 June, several weeks after the Brussels attack, an incident took place whereby a group of youths of North African origin approached a synagogue.20 They produced a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a pistol obvious intending to use them. However, the moment they saw armed police on guard at the synagogue, they simply aimed their weapons at the police before fleeing the scene on getaway scooters stationed nearby. The assumption must be that the Brussels attack acted as a possible trigger for other terrorist cells, or as the inspiration for a so-called copycat attack.

United States:

19 France 24, 3-6-2014: Parallel lives: the Brussels suspect and the Toulouse shooter20 Israel National News, 15-6-2014: Shooting Attack at Paris Synagogue Thwarted at Last Moment

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- An American Vietnam veteran with extreme right-wing ideas shot and killed three people, whom he suspected of being Jewish, in the vicinity of two Jewish sites in Kansas City on 13 April 21. On his arrest the perpetrator shouted the anti-Semitic cry “Heil Hitler”. The man was known to the police for previous incidents involving racist violence.

SyriaA separate focal point in this chapter is the concern that a new threat will be posed by Syria. In its annual report for 2013 the AIVD states that there is an increasing number of travellers who are actively participating in the war in Syria under the flag of various extremist factions. Those factions include diverse groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda, which not only take part in military action but also actively engage in committing (suicide) attacks, executions, torture and hostage taking. These foreign fighters acquire on-the-spot military experience and learn bomb-making techniques.

It has frequently emerged that Dutch citizens travelling to the conflict have already been in contact in the Netherlands with such groups for (moral, financial and/or religious) support. In 2013 those groups became more open and vociferous in presenting their religious motivations and anti-Western stance, the character of which is, in the main, explicitly anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic. The distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is blurring and the two frequently overlap, given that such groups fail to make a distinction between Jews, the Jewish community and Israel.

In 2013 approximately twenty people in the Netherlands received intensive guidance from diverse government institutions upon their return from areas of conflict with regard to social reintegration in a safe environment. Subsequent to an official report issued by the AIVD an investigation was begun at the end of September 2013 into a returning jihadist traveller. The man intended to commit armed robberies and use the proceeds to provide financial support to Islamic jihad22.

In addition, there is an increasing large group of people in the Netherlands who facilitate these travellers but who do not themselves participate in the struggle. The facilitators ensure that they operate within the law and exert a strong influence on radicalized youngsters. Radicalization was in 2013 a serious concern for different organisations within the government. An added difficulty is, however, that early on in the process such individuals are trained to blend in and seeing as there is no departure from the norm, this impedes identification and monitoring of the various stages in the radicalization process. It is therefore difficult to give a accurate indication of the number of potential radicals planning (in Syria or the region) to become active combatants.

Since the beginning of 2014 there has been a clear schism between two prominent fundamentalist terrorist organisations, Jabhat al Nusra (affiliated to Al Qaida) and ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham). The struggle between the two jihadist factions, the biggest in the region, has meanwhile far-reaching repercussions into the surrounding area23. In June ISIS embarked upon a large-scale offensive in Iraq, involving many foreign fighters. In the Netherlands there is increasing public

21 New York Times, 14-4-2014: Bullets, Blood and then Cry ‘Heil Hitler’22 Openbaar Ministerie, 21-5-2014: Teruggekeerde Syriëganger aangehouden wegens voorbereiden overval23 New York Times, 7-7-2014: The Iraq-ISIS Conflict in Maps, Photos and Videos

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support in particular via social media, a factor which may contribute to the flow of Dutch men and women into Syria (and Iraq).

Experts opine that the pronouncement of a Caliphate (Islamic state) at the end of June 2014 and the change of name from ISIS to IS (Islamic State, but without any geographical boundaries) could lead to an intensification of the underlying conflict between Jabhat al Nusra and IS. In addition it must be borne in mind that said organizations may well commit terrorist attacks in order to make their mark on Europe.

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4. Anti-Semitism

BLEW classifies an act as an anti-Semitic incident when it is an intentional attack on Jews, Jewish organizations or property, and when the underlying motivation can be shown to be based on race or religion. A general definition of anti-Semitism given by the Encyclopaedia Britannica is 'hostility or discrimination against the Jews as a religious or racial group'.

Furthermore, when processing data, BLEW makes a clear distinction between anti-Semitic incidents and expressions (of hate) against the State of Israel. This report concentrates on incidents as well as (verbal and visual) expressions against the Jewish community. The statistics compiled by CIDI, CST and SPCJ show that during any conflict in the Middle East involving Israel, the number of anti-Semitic incidents rises worldwide. In the majority of cases, the perpetrators consider Jews to be representatives of the State of Israel.

In light of the above, mention must be made of the (international) BDS movement. The acronym BDS stands for Boycot, Divestment and Sanction. The movement aims at influencing Dutch politics with respect to Israel, and Israeli politics itself with regard to its standpoints on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is done mainly by organizing events, picketing, and disrupting events arranged by the Jewish community. The movement is a good example of how the Jewish community is being held responsible for the (political) policies of the State of Israel.

In 2013 saw the emergence of a new trend in anti-Semitism, the performance of the ‘quenelle’24, a variant of the Nazi salute, thought up by the French comedian, Dieudonné M’bala M’bala. Starting in France, but in the meantime having spread to an increasing number of European countries, the trend is for youngsters to be photographed in front of Jewish monuments, institutions and museums while performing this anti-Semitic gesture. Dieudonné was, by the way, prosecuted for inciting anti-Semitism and several of his performances were banned on account of their anti-Semitic nature.25

24 Wikipedia: Quenelle (gesture)25 France 24, 21-1-2014: Anti-Semitic comic backs down, to unveil new routine

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Bron: Frontpagemag.com

The Netherlands – statistics on anti-Semitic incidentsThe number of anti-Semitic incidents against vulnerable Dutch Jews is on the increase

In order to identify (and list) the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands, BLEW used data from the Centre for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI); for incidents in England, data from the Community Security Trust (CST) and for France, data from the Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive (SPCJ). There are no known official statistics for Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.

Several studies have shown a lack of reporting hate-motivated incidents. In 2013, in collaboration with CIDI, BLEW embarked on the project ‘Meld Antisemitisme!’ (Report Anti-Semitism) to encourage the registration of as many anti-Semitic incidents as possible and to combat so-called 'reporting fatigue'.

Lelystad, 25 April 2013 (source: CIDI) The Hague, August 2013 (source: CIDI)

The table and graph below show that, compared with 2012, the number of incidents registered in the Netherlands increased in 2013 by 28.9%. If we compare this to the number in England and France in 2013, it emerges that the number of anti-Semitic incidents registered in those countries actually decreased. In contrast to England and France, the situation in the Netherlands gives cause for concern. It also appears that, in comparison, the statistical probability of a Jewish person in the Netherlands becoming the victim of an anti-Semitic incident (hit rate) is significantly higher. The above demonstrates the vulnerability of the Dutch Jewish community.

Population Number of Jews

% population

Average Numberincidents (2009-2013)

Hit rate% per Jew (2009-2013)

Change in the number of incidents 2013 c.f. 2012

Netherlands 17 mln 45,000 0.27% 133 0.30 +28,9%England 60 mln 300,000 0.50% 673 0.22 -18.5%France 65 mln 490,000 0.75% 545 0.11 -31.1%Source: CIDI , CST, SPCJ

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Source: CIDI, CST, SPCJ

Anti-Semitism on the Internet 2013 Anti-Semitism is by far the most prevalent form of discrimination on the Internet

Anti-Semitism on the Internet has been monitored and analysed since the establishment of the Discrimination on the Internet Reporting Centre (MDI) in 1997.

The top three areas of discrimination on the Internet are as follows: the first place goes to anti-Semitism with 35% of all discriminatory incidents reported to the MDI; the second to the discrimination of Muslims and the third place, to so-called anti-black racism. In absolute numbers the MDI received 809 reports pertaining to 924 separate expressions of discrimination in 2013, a total of 324 of which were anti-Semitic in nature.

2011 2012 2013

Anti-Semitism on the Internet Total Punishable Total Punishable Total Punishable

Anti-Semitism 252 165 285 177 250 175

Of which Holocaust denial 74 122 196 93 74 61

Source: MDI

As in previous years it must be concluded that the strong presence of anti-Semitism on the Internet is disproportionately high in comparison with the small number of Jews in the Netherlands. The Jewish community comprises a tiny proportion (0.27%) of the population, and yet anti-Semitism on the Internet totals approximately 35%. The ratio of expressions of anti-Semitism is therefore 35/0.27 = 129.6%.

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2011 2012 20130

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

113

609

389

114

649 614

147

529

423NederlandEngelandFrankrijk


Expressions of anti-Semitic expression on the Internet

Source: CIDI

On 17 January retweeted Prachtland 'C' @ Huseyin040 [nazi symbol] Not a bad sign, Jews bring death and disaster Hitler was right[nazi symbol]

On 18 January 'IG:Zackaria026 @Zackaria026 What would you change in this World? Kill Jews and israelis http://ask.fm/a/23ah370 '

On 9 March: 'Merk @mert_ks40 Hitler said before he died: 'One day you will say I was right to murder Jews.. 'And he's right'

Source: CIDI

26 August

Person reporting the incident received an 89 page document entitled "Jews are no gods'. The document is full of anti-Semitic language and denials of the Holocaust. It says among other things: 'Hollywood of today in mostly in the hands of the Jews'; 'Israel's interests and God's interests run parallel. Logical consequence of this is that God's dominion over the world is the same as the domination of the Jews over the world (...) World domination is in the hands of the Jews, not foreigners. The person reporting has filed a police report citing the expressions in this document. The police are taking the report seriously.

Damage and DesecrationDecrease in the number of reported physical incidents in connection with (Jewish) property

Physical attacks aimed at (suspected) Jewish property can take several different forms: the use of anti-Semitic slogans or symbols, the daubing of synagogues or, for instance, the smashing of windows of Jewish homes and so on.

The following graph shows a decline last year in the number of incidents recorded in the countries illustrated.

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Only French statistics are available for 2014. They show an increase of 60% in the number of registered incidents in the first quarter of 2014, amounting to 85 compared with 53 in the first quarter of 2013.

Physical violenceThe level of physical violence towards the Jewish community in the Netherlands remains stable

In this paragraph an assessment is made of physically violent incidents against the Jewish community. A comparison is made between the situation in the Netherlands in 2013 and that in England and France. Examination of the period 2011 to 2013 shows a historical trend.

In the Netherlands the level of physical violence has remained virtually unchanged. What holds true for the previous chapter is probably applicable here: the actual number of incidents may be higher than the number reported. Also, it cannot be said with certainty whether every case of physical violence reported to the hotline or to the police was related to anti-Semitism.

At the time of writing the number of incidents in England was declining; in France, on the other hand, we see a steep increase. Compared to 2012, the number of incidents rose by 96%, which has greatly contributed to the large number of French Jews that have either emigrated or seriously consider doing so.

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2011 2012 20130

50

100

150

200

250

22

64

172

14

53

245

10

49

174

NederlandEngelandFrankrijk



In France the number of physically violent incidents rose by 40% in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the first quarter of 2013: a total of 15 incidents was registered in 2013, whereas in 2014 the number was 21. In addition, it should be said here that the level of violence used was higher in the anti-Semitic incidents, as evidenced by the incidents mentioned below. Not all the incidents have as yet been incorporated in the statistics, the reason being that they occurred in the second quarter of 2014.

Included are the following: an aggravated assault on a Jewish teacher26, various attacks on (recognisable) Jewish youngsters including, inter alia, the use of a stun gun27, knuckle dusters28, an axe29, tear gas30, and knives31. The trend towards increasingly violent incidents is a development that is a grave cause for concern in view of the position occupied by physical violence in the threat pyramid (see figure 1).

26 The Algemeiner, 27-3-2014: Victim Breaks Down in Footage From Aftermath of Brutal Anti-Semitic Attack in France27 Tablet, 11-6-2014: Jewish Teen Wearing Yarmulke Tasered in Paris28 Associates Press, 25-5-2014: 2 Jewish Youth Attacked near Paris-Area Synagogue29 Forward, 8-6-2014: Jewish Teens Escape Axe Attack Near Paris30 Jerusalem Post, 10-6-2014: Two Jews attacked with tear gas near Paris31 Israel National News, 24-6-2014: Anti-Semitic Assault and Stabbing in Paris Library

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2011 2012 20130

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 2

57

4 2

49

3 0

96

NederlandEngelandFrankrijk


Attack on a Jewish teacher in Paris: the attackers drewa swastika on his chest (source: The Algemeiner)

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5. Politics

The political climate in the Netherlands and Europe has changed drastically during the past decades to the detriment of Israel. Both in politics and in public debate open displays of anti-Israel sentiment are becoming increasingly the norm and regarded even as being politically correct. The line between disguised - and sometimes even explicit – anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism is becoming more and more blurred. Calling into question Israel's right to exist or showing support for Hamas, are in our opinion, forms of anti-Semitism. That was the reason why Norman Finkelstein, a rabid Israel critic, turned against the BDS movement that he had supported for years32. In a climate where anti-Semitism is becoming more and more acceptable, it stands to reason that terrorism is most likely to be directed against the Jewish community.

The NetherlandsVarious political parties in the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament have recently been voicing their opposition to several mainstays of the Jewish way of life: male circumcision, ritual slaughter and Jewish schools. The overall trend is to ban all forms of religious expression from Dutch society, which impacts greatly on the Jewish community: Dutch society is marginalising its Jews.

An increase in anti-Israel sentiment in recent years has likewise been observed, evidenced by such matters as the labelling of products from Jewish settlements and the civil initiative 'Pull down the Wall' . At the same time, however, the reception of Israeli president, Shimon Peres in October 2013 was a corroboration of the good political relationship with Israel as was the visit to Israel by a delegation of the Dutch government in December 2013.

EuropeThe level of anti-Semitism varies greatly within individual European member states, and is a reflection of the sense of vulnerability experienced by Jewish civilians33. In several countries anti-Semitism enjoys the support of extreme right-wing political parties. A study by the European Jewish Congress and the Kantor Centre for Studies on Present-day European Judaism at the University of Tel Aviv reports a direct link between the increasing popularity of those parties and the rising number of anti-Semitic incidents34. Examples of such political movements are the Greek Golden Dawn, the Ukrainian Svoboda and the Hungarian Jobbik. The last-mentioned parties and their affiliates do not shy away from using anti-Semitic slogans, anti-Semitic symbols and the employment of force. Moreover, those parties have booked significant electoral gains in recent years.

The presence of anti-Semitism in the European Parliament is less obvious. It is usually cloaked in the guise of anti-Israel rhetoric, for the simple reason that anti-Semitic sentiments, more often than

32 Official Website of Norman G. Finkelstein, 14-2-2014: Beyond the Mass BDS Psychosis33 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, November 2013: Discrimination and hate crime against Jews in EU Member States: experiences and perceptions of antisemitism; Anti-Defamation League, May 2014: The ADL Global 100: An Index of Anti-Semitism34 NOS, 7-4-2013: Stijging antisemitische incidenten [Rise in anti-Semitic Incidents]

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not, go hand in hand with anti-Israel rhetoric35. Not only that, the European Parliament stopped publishing figures in 2011, at which time it was common knowledge that subsidies from the EP for the advancement of democracy and human rights in the Middle East (EIDHR) were made available to NGOs that had falsely accused Israel of torture, ethnic cleansing, genocide and apartheid. Strangely enough, no such subsidies were given to NGOs that held countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran under close scrutiny 36. Likewise, it is common knowledge that the Palestinian Authority receives substantial subsidies from the EU which it uses to reward acts of terror in an indirect way.

35 Manfred Gerstenfeld, 2010: Het Verval36 CIDI, 24-2-2014: EU Parlementariër: Stop financiering anti-Israël lobby [EU Members of Parliament - Stop financing the anti-Israel lobby]NGO Monitor, 17-2-2014: Evaluating funding for political advocacy NGOs in the Arab-Israeli conflict: the European instrument for democracy and human rights (EIDHR)

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6. Conclusion

On the basis of the qualitative and quantitative analysis that we have conducted relevant to the present situation in the Netherlands, we conclude that the threat level to the Jewish community in the Netherlands, scoring 76.5/100 on the BLEW index, is critical. It is inter alia due to the high probability of a potential terrorist attack posed by the large number of active Dutch and European combatants and supporters of the various jihadist warring factions. In addition to four fatal attacks against Jewish targets, the operational security department reports a rise in preparatory acts. BLEW identifies the Netherlands as a highly fertile breeding grounds for anti-Semitism which is further reinforced by political acceptance of the blurred line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Lastly, the threat level in the Netherlands [in general] stands since March 2013 at 'substantial' , the second-highest level on the NCTV scale.

BLEW therefore urgently appeals to the Dutch government to prevent the Jewish community from becoming the weakest link and thus the softest target of all the Jewish communities in Europe. That is why in the short term an increased level of security with regard to the Jewish community, Jewish authorities and (religious) institutions is necessary to withstand the critical level at which the current threat stands. In the long term it is essential that national governments within Europe take concerted action to counter terrorism.

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The Threat Report July 2014 ‘Terrorism as a threat to the Jewish community in the Netherlands' is a publication of the Bij Leven en Welzijn Foundation (BLEW). BLEW is the advisory body for Jewish security in the Netherlands.

Stichting Bij Leven en WelzijnPostbus 79671008 AD Amsterdam

W: www.blew.orgE: [email protected]: 020 - 404 1749

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