Of Grave Concern: Study Finds Rise of Anti-Semitism Among Youth in Holland thumbnail

Of Grave Concern: Study Finds Rise of Anti-Semitism Among Youth in Holland

By Matthys van Raalten

This is not surprising news, but it could be helpful material in countering idealism about the multicultural paradise.

The Dutch Anne Frank Foundation has done research among teachers at Dutch high schools about incidents of anti-Semitism in their classrooms.

Anti-Semitism in the classroom is a persistent problem

February 8, 2023 — 42% of secondary school teachers witnessed anti-Semitic incidents in the classroom in the past year. Usually it concerns name-calling and insults that are not aimed at specific persons. This is evident from the report of research agency Panteia, which was commissioned by the Anne Frank House to conduct research into anti-Semitism in secondary education.

With the research, in which 432 teachers participated in 2022, the Foundation wants to gain an up-to-date picture of the nature and extent of anti-Semitic incidents among secondary school students. Similar research was also carried out in 2013 and 2004. In 2013, 35% of teachers experienced one or more anti-Semitic incidents in the classroom, compared to 50% in 2004. Anti-Semitism, as in society, is a persistent problem in the classroom.

Backgrounds

When we ask teachers about the backgrounds of the anti-Semitic incidents they have experienced in the past year, it turns out that football was the most common context in which students insulted Jews as a group. More than a third of all teachers mentioned this football context. This football-related anti-Semitism has its origins in rivalry between fan bases of different football clubs and therefore also manifests itself outside football stadiums at secondary schools. Anti-Semitic remarks also arise as a result of the Middle East conflict, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This has been a known and recurring phenomenon for some time. One third of the teachers report insulting Jews in this context. Trivializing or denying the Holocaust is also common. The survey shows that 14% of teachers have been confronted with this in the past year.

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Matthys van Raalten. All rights reserved.