Worry about Increasing Antisemitism

During a meeting in Amsterdam on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, several speakers stressed the increase of antisemitism.  Prime Minister Rutte said that contemporary antisemitism still frightens people.  He mentioned the recently attacked kosher restaurant whose windows were deliberately shattered.  Rutte said that antisemitism is reflected by the fact that the doors of the restaurant are now locked and that the owner has to push a button to allow people entry.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2214167-holocaustherdenking-jodenhaat-neemt-toe.html

Amsterdam Quay Walls Need Billions in Repair

Amsterdam has 500 million kilometers of Quay walls.  Two hundred kilometers of these need urgent repair.  Five billion euro is needed but the city does not have the money.  In addition there are very few companies that have the know-how to carry out the repairs.  The city is currently able to repair one kilometer every year.

www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1585245/amsterdamse-kades-dreigen-in-te-storten

Man Destroys Cameras of Jewish Hospice and Jewish Center

On the night of January 1, a man threw a stone at the security cameras of the Jewish hospice.  He then also destroyed a camera at the Jewish Cultural Center. The police say that they have no idea what the motive of the man was and hopes to find him via recorded images.

https://www.niw.nl/cameras-joods-hospice-kapot-geslagen/

Eindhoven University Suspends Subsidy to Student Organization

The Eindhoven University of Technology has suspended its subsidy to the Eindhoven Studenten Corps because its fraternity, Aleph, was involved in an inappropriate carnival party. The theme of the party was “The opinion of a woman doesn’t count.”  This was a reference to the Me-too movement.  The event has been removed from Facebook and has been cancelled.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/24/eindhoven-student-assocs-subsidy-suspended-s

Roma Children Trafficked in Netherlands as Sex Slaves

Netherlands aid workers and experts say that hundreds of Roma children are being used as sex slaves and pickpockets by criminal family members.  The experts say that the Dutch authorities do not provide adequate protection for these Roma children. If a child is arrested, he or she is often returned to a family member that exploits the child again.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/22/hundreds-roma-children-trafficked-netherlans-sex-slaves-pickpockets

Stabbing at Wageningen University Campus

In a quarrel at Wageningen University, two students were injured. One was stabbed in the eye and taken to a hospital in Ede. The other victim was beaten and treated at the scene by paramedics.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/18/multiple-people-stabbed-wageningen-univ-campus-student-arrested

Dutch Howitzers Used in Yemen War

Dutch howitzers were observed in a 2015 Al Jazeera TV report about the war in Yemen.  The howitzers were used by the coalition, and led by Saudia Arabia in the bloody war in Yemen where human rights are abused regularly, according to the UN and other human rights organizations.  The Dutch research collective, “Dutch Arms,” has discovered that these howitzers were supplied by the Netherlands.

https://www.vpro.nl/speel~RBX_VPRO_12511963~nederlandse-wapens-in-jemen~.html

12 Mosques Support Rotterdam Mayor on Identification with Salafism

Rotterdam Mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, said in a radio program that every Muslim is a bit Salafist in order to resemble the Prophet Mohammed.  He added that he is not worried about Salafism.  He also said that he is a bit jihadist by getting up every day at 7 am to do good for a town in the Netherlands.  12 mosques in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht said that Aboutaleb has put these terms in the right perspective.  They add that he represents the feelings of many Muslims in the Netherlands who work daily for a better society.  Among the mosques are the Essalam mosque in Rotterdam and the As-Soennah mosque in The Hague.

www.ad.nl/rotterdam/moskeeeneuml-n-steunen-aboutaleb-om-salafisme-uitspraken~aab82bda/

Rotterdam Mayor: Every Muslim is a Bit Salafist

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb is a Muslim who belongs to the Labour Party.  He has recently said that “Every Muslim is a bit Salafist.”  In an interview he said, “I also said once that I am a jihadist.”  He added, “I get up every day at 7 am to do good things for a town in the Netherlands. That is jihad in its purest form.”  Even though there was a majority for a debate about his statements, he came under heavy criticism from various factions of the municipality.

https://www.elsevierweekblad.nl/nederland/achtergrond/2017/12/aboutaleb-onder-vuur-om-omstreden-salafisme-uitspraak-571809/

Amsterdam: Man Throws Stone through Windows of Jewish Institution

It has only now become known that recently the windows of the Beth Chabad, an Amsterdam Jewish institution have been broken. This had already happened before a number of times in recent months. The attack by a man throwing a stone through the windows Has been captured on camera.

www.niw.nl/ruiten-chabad-amsterdam-ingegooid/.

Dutch Bitcoin Company Accused of Fraud

Clients of a Dutch Bitcoin firm have started court proceedings against it due to claims of fraud.  The firm, Koinz Trading, calls itself the ‘biggest Bitcoin factory of the Netherlands.’  The lawyer of a client accused the company of giving excuse after excuse instead of contractual payments.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/10/dutch-bitcoin-mining-farm-accused-fraud-delinquent-payments

Minister gives largely irrelevant Answers on Questions about Attack on kosher Restaurant

Parliamentarians of the PVV have asked questions about the attack by a Palestinian-Syrian asylumseeker on the kosher Hacarmel restaurant in Amsterdam. The answers of Minister Grapperhaus of Justice and Security are barely relevant ot the questions.

www.cidi.nl/ook-na-kamervragen-geen-antwoorden-van-minister-grapperhaus-over-hacarmel/

More than 400 People Treated for Fireworks Injuries

In total 434 people were treated for fireworks related injuries at the emergency rooms of Dutch hospitals over New Years.  This is a decline of 8% from last year.  Yet the number of victims under the age of 15 increased from 99 last year to 119 this year.  Two years ago on New Years, one person was killed by illegal fireworks.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/05/fewer-firework-injuries-new-years-kids-hurt

Dutch Representative Resigns from IOC Due to Domestic Violence

Camiel Eurlings, the Dutch representative on the International Olympic Committee has resigned.  He had been increasingly criticized by officials and athletes over a domestic violence incident in 2015. He was the Dutch IOC representative since 2013.  Eurling is a former Minister of Transport on behalf of the Christian Democrat Party and the former CEO of the KLM airline.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2018/01/camiel-eurlings-under-fire-over-domestic-violence-incident-resigns-from-ioc/

Amsterdam Kosher Restaurant Vandalized Again

The Jewish restaurant, HaCarmel, in Amsterdam was attacked last month by a Palestinian Syrian asylum seeker. It has now been vandalized again.  The owner says that it is a target of vandalism more often.  He wants to place cameras around the restaurant and has asked the authorities for permission. His lawyer, Herman Loonstien, says that the weak attitude of the authorities enables the vandalism.

https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1497710/joods-restaurant-weer-belaagd-ramen-besmeurd

One killed, many wounded due to New Year’s fireworks

As in previous years before, the New Year celebrations with fireworks in the Netherlands lead to dozens of firework related injuries. For instance, the burn center in Groningen had 30 people come in with fire work related injuries. The Amsterdam VU medical center treated 40 patients and  in the town of Swifterbant, a 39 year old man was killed in front of one of his children. 

https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/01/dozens-hurt-fireworks-new-years

Cocaine Smuggling at Dutch Fishing Town

There are claims that the Dutch fishing community of Urk has been infiltrated by a gang which maintains their hold through violence and even murder. A trial is now ongoing against five people, of which three fishermen from Urk. The latter are accused of trying to smuggle with their ship 261 kilos of cocaine worth 6.5 million Euro. They recrived this from a container ship on the orders of a Dutchman of Pakistani descent who was working together with a Montenegrin.       

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/31/dutch-fishing-town-embroiled-international-cocaine-smuggling-trial