Rob Jetten urges Jewish families to remain in the Netherlands, pledges additional security funding.
By Shula Rosen
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said Monday that he had affixed a mezuzah to his front door in solidarity with the country’s Jewish community, citing growing fears of antisemitism that have led some Jews to conceal their religious identity or consider leaving the Netherlands.
Jetten disclosed the decision during a commemoration of Kristallnacht at Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue, where he appealed to Jewish citizens not to abandon their country because of threats to their safety.
“I would like to ask those people not to give in. Because this is your home. The Netherlands is our shared home,” he said.
The prime minister expressed particular concern that some Jewish households have stopped displaying mezuzahs to avoid attracting hostility.
He said his decision to put one on his own doorway reflected his desire “to be the prime minister of a country where Jewish life is visible.”
Traditionally attached to the entrances of Jewish homes, a mezuzah contains a parchment inscribed with passages from the Torah. It serves as an expression of Jewish religious identity and a reminder of God’s commandments.
Beyond his personal gesture, Jetten announced additional government funding for security at Jewish institutions.
He cautioned, however, that combating antisemitism required action beyond police protection and physical security.
During his address, Jetten also invoked the Hamas massacres of October 7, 2023, describing the attacks as evidence that anti-Jewish violence remains a contemporary threat.
Monday’s gathering commemorated the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogroms of November 9 and 10, 1938, during which Jews were subjected to widespread violence and persecution.
Jetten’s statements of solidarity come against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic friction between the Netherlands and Israel.
The Dutch government has criminalized imports of goods originating in Judea and Samaria and certain parts of Jerusalem.
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