Why Europe must address antisemitic violence after the Amsterdam attacks – opinion

Following the terrorism carried out in the Gaza border communities on October 7, 2023, came the terrorism in Amsterdam on November 7, 2024. The seventh day of the month has again become a sacred date for Islamic terrorism in the collective mind of many Arabs and Muslims around the world, using it to target Israeli Jews wherever they find the opportunity and conditions are favorable.

These individuals have willingly severed their ties with the human community, choosing instead to become puppets of forces intent on spreading ruin, chaos, and destruction – attempting to return to eras where mobs ruled the world’s resources: what was once known as the “Islamic Caliphate era.”

I was among those who compared the horrific Amsterdam terrorist attacks to Kristallnacht of November 9-10, 1938, in a statement to an Israeli newspaper shortly after the tragedies occurred. However, with the overwhelming flow of information covered by global media, a more accurate term for that night has emerged: the “Amsterdam Raid.”

In Islamic terminology, a “raid” refers to Muslims going out to fight infidels, and for some, the term “infidels” specifically refers to Jews. Islamic texts, including the Quran and Hadith, along with Islamic heritage, lend legitimacy and sanctity to this concept, even glorifying participants as heroes.

Therefore, I wanted to clarify this terminology, so that facts are not lost amid the smoke screens intentionally released by various parties to obscure the truth and confuse matters.

How do we prevent aftershocks of October 7?

In the following lines, I will not describe again the scenes of terror faced by the fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team in the squares, streets, alleys, hotels, and cafes of the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. I will not delve into statements by officials in the Netherlands or their counterparts in Israel, nor will I discuss the international condemnations at various levels.

What matters to me and what I aim to address is ensuring that such terrorist events do not recur. My concern is preventing aftershocks following the horrific events of October 7, 2023. What matters to me is blocking the possibility of any other day becoming like this second seventh of a month.

So, what is to be done?

ABDULLAH BIN al-Muqaffa, a Persian translator, philosopher, and author who was murdered by order of the Muslim Caliph al-Mansur in 759, said: “Those who feel no fear of punishment will misbehave.”

But is the threat of prison time a deterring punishment for individuals who belong to or sympathize with Islamic terrorist groups living in the free world of Europe?I tell you “no” and I say it loudly. Based on many discussions I have had with some of these people at various occasions in different capitals, the vast majority of them consider European prisons, with all the services and rights offered to inmates, as a pinnacle of luxury. Therefore, the European hierarchy of punishment, embodied in prison, will never deter them, and we will remain trapped in a vicious circle as similar atrocities repeat in European capitals and cities.

The effort to stop and confront this growing global antisemitism can only be achieved by immediately implementing three effective and prompt steps, forcing anyone who chooses the path of terrorism and violence to reconsider doing so, because a real deterrent exists.

• Anyone proven to be involved, by a final court ruling, in antisemitic crimes, whether directly or indirectly and in any form of support, should have their citizenship revoked in the country they reside in, or their residence permit revoked, and they should be deported to their country of origin. In cases where they cannot be returned to their home country (for instance, if they are stateless), they should be sent to an African country that has agreed to be involved in regulating this matter.

• There should be a comprehensive review of the content preached from mosque pulpits across Europe, with immediate closure of any mosque where violent, terrorist, or antisemitic content is promoted, and holding the board members of these mosques accountable under the relevant laws.

• There should also be periodic reviews of activities conducted by community associations owned or managed by Arabs and Muslims. This is not discrimination against a particular group, but an essential measure that must be implemented sooner rather than later.

Shame on us if we allow the world to regress to the eras of raids or the years of the Nazi era – this time being perpetrated by Islamic terrorist groups.

The writer is a political analyst specializing in Middle East affairs and Islamic movements, an opinion writer, and member of the Swedish PEN Association. You can follow him on X @M_S_khairallah