In the heart of Antwerp, Belgium, a chilling reality is gripping the Jewish community. Incidents of antisemitism have surged in the wake of the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas, leaving many feeling fearful and vulnerable. For survivors like 84-year-old Regina Sluszny, the echoes of the past ring ominously loud.
Ms. Sluszny, a Holocaust survivor residing in Antwerp, has witnessed a distressing uptick in antisemitic acts since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking of the palpable fear within the community, she recounts distressing incidents such as attempts to knock off hats and push cyclists wearing traditional Jewish attire. “We really feel it – that it’s much, much worse than it was before,” she laments.
Authorities in Antwerp confirm the severity of the situation, having received 90 reports of antisemitism in the first six weeks following the Hamas attacks last October.
Rabbi Chaim Parnas, who oversees 700 families in his synagogue, attests to the noticeable changes in the community’s daily life, marked by a heightened police presence and pervasive fear.
The rise in antisemitism has forced some to contemplate fleeing, evoking haunting memories of past atrocities. For those who lost family members in Auschwitz, the fear of history repeating itself looms large.
Rabbi Parnas recounts how some community members have even considered removing the traditional mezuzah from their doors to conceal their Jewish identity, a stark indication of the prevailing terror.
The scourge of antisemitism extends beyond verbal abuse. In November, dozens of Jewish graves were desecrated in Charleroi cemetery, while incidents of beatings, assaults, and Holocaust denial have been reported by human rights groups.
One teenager, identified as Daniel, shares his harrowing experience of being chased and threatened because of his Jewish heritage.
As tensions escalate, security measures have intensified around schools and synagogues, with additional precautions during religious ceremonies like bar mitzvahs.
Daniel reflects on the abnormality of living under constant police surveillance, questioning the necessity of such measures for basic protection.
Belgium is not isolated in grappling with this alarming trend. Across Europe, countries like France, Germany, Italy, and the UK are contending with a surge in antisemitic incidents fueled by the reverberations of the conflict in the Middle East.
As the spectre of antisemitism casts a dark shadow over Belgium’s Jewish community, urgent calls for solidarity and action reverberate. The need to confront and combat hatred in all its forms has never been more imperative, lest the lessons of history be forgotten amidst the tumult of the present.
This article was created using automation and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
