Chief Rabbi: Jews Faced with Reality that They do not belong

On 14 September Queen Beatrix, who will be succeeded today by her son King Willem Alexander, will take official leave from the Dutch people. That date is also Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews. Holland’s Chief interprovincial Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs told the daily NRC Handelsblad: “Dutch Jews are again faced with a reality in which they do not belong, and that is painful.” He added that the organizers of the event – a national committee and the court – should have made sure that the date chosen would enable Jews to attend also.     

www.jta.org/news/article/2013/04/28/3125306/dutch-jews-vexed-by-royal-even-on-yom-kippur-rabbi-says

It is Unknown how many Illegals Remain in the Netherlands

The coalition of the Liberal Party (VVD) and the Labor Party (PvdA) wants to make illegal presence in the Netherlands without a residency permit punishable by law. According to the official estimate of the Ministry of Security and Justice, there are about 100,000 people without this permit in the Netherlands. Various aid organizations put the figure between 30,000 and 200,000.

www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21509441/__Aantal_illegalen_onbekend__.html?view=print

Wiesenthal Center Blasts anti-Semitic Cartoon in Dutch Daily

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center has sent a letter of protest to the Dutch daily Volkskrant for publishing a political cartoon depicting Israel as a threat to world peace alongside North Korea. In the letter Rabbi Cooper wrote, “It seems that tried and true Nazi Jew-hatred imagery still works for at least 38% of your fellow Dutchmen.”

He was referring to the 38% of Dutch respondents to a poll for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation who supported the hate statement that Israel is conducting a war of extermination against the Palestinians.
www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Rabbi-protests-Dutch-papers-anti-Israel-cartoon-311179

Trade Union: In View of Violence, allow Only Electronic Payment on Buses

The trade union FNV wants to abolish all cash payments on buses and only allow electronic payments. This is in view of violence on buses. Since the beginning of 2013, 6 bus drivers have already been robbed in violent encounters, sometimes under the threat of guns or knives. The last victim had paint sprayed in his face, thereafter, the robber took his cash register. In the town of Almere, a number of bus drivers protested against the violence for some time by no longer taking money and tickets into the bus. This was already two years ago.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3429447/2013/04/21/FNV-wil-af-van-cash-betalen-in-de-bus.dhtml

Dutch Minister: Due to Budget Cuts, Dutch Security will no Longer Monitor Terrorists

Interior Minister, Ronald Plasterk (Labor) has said that the budget cuts on the security services will affect national security. This could mean that the monitoring of left and right wing radicals will stop. The National Security Service (AIVD) has in the meantime warned that jihadist-based terrorism is increasing because of the internet, as it has become easier to inspire others to take up the fight.
www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/print/031421.php

Simon Wiesenthal Center to Deputy Prime Minister: Combat extreme demonization of Israel and the Jews in the Netherlands.

During his visit to the Netherlands last week Rabbi Cooper, the Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, accompanied by former Dutch Parliamentarian Wim Kortenoeven, met Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Ascher. He mentioned to Ascher and other politicians that a German study carried out on behalf of the Social Democratic Friedrich Ebert Foundation found that more than 38% of the Dutch people believe that Israel is conducting a war of extermination against the Palestinians. He said that this and other types of extreme demonization of Israel and Jews should be a matter of concern for Dutch authorities and society, and asked the Dutch government to combat this. Rabbi Cooper also discussed the plight of Mehmet Sahin, the Dutch Turkish volunteer worker who opposed the Dutch Turkish youngsters who praised the Holocaust, Hitler and the killing of Jewish babies on television. After being verbally attacked and receiving death threats, Sahin was forced into hiding.

www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167348

Leiden: Schools Closed Because of School Shooting Threat

There is an anonymous threat on an international internet-forum by a person who wrote, "Tomorrow, I will shoot my Dutch teacher, and as many students as I can." Next to the message the weapon is shown which he intends to use, a Colt Defender. As it is not known which school is concerned, all high schools and trade schools in Leiden will remain closed today because of this threat of “school shooting.”
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1012/Nederland/article/detail/3429476/2013/04/22/Scholen-in-Leiden-gesloten-na-dreiging-schietpartij.dhtml