The Dutch Protestant church has sparked outrage after comparing Israeli policy towards Palestinians in the West Bank to the Nazis’ treatment of Jews.
The report in question was compiled by members of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) following their visit to Judea-Samaria (West Bank) last November, reports the TEV.
„When we visited the Yad Vashem Museum, we saw evidence of the unparalleled horrors of the Holocaust, and the sign ‘Jews forbidden’ reminded us of what we had seen and heard from Palestinian Christians in recent days. The saying ‘Never again’ echoed in our minds,” the authors write in the report.
Binyomin Jacobs, the chief rabbi of the Netherlands, said the church would meet in a few weeks to examine relations between the organisation and the state of Israel in light of the report’s findings.
The Jewish community in the Netherlands was shocked by the report, prompting the umbrella organisation for the country’s Jewish communities to issue a statement expressing dismay at the comparison.
According to Rabbi Jacobs, „Millions of Dutch Christians follow the PKN. The comparison between the systematic extermination of Jews in the Holocaust and the State of Israel is unacceptable and may encourage Dutch citizens to harm Jews. This is a downright antisemitic report.”
Ephraim Modi, Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, expressed dismay at the report, adding that „we are seeing an alarming rise in antisemitism.”
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