Following
the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, Denmark’s Jewish community has
reported an increase in antisemitic rhetoric and even death threats.
Jews
in Denmark have reported an increase in threatening messages since the recent
escalation of violence in Gaza.
Following
a TV appearance in which he debated the chairman of the Danish-Palestinian
Friendship Association, the Danish Zionist Society’s (Dansk Zionistforbund)
chairman Jonatan Møller Sousa has received
a handful of death threats via Facebook.
“I hope you and your Zionist friends burn
in hell and experience even more painful deaths than all the small children who
have been killed in Gaza,” one Facebook message obtained by Kristeligt Dagblad
read.
“Unfortunately there are no dead Jews:
We’ll be sure to take care of that in Denmark,” read another.
Sousa
is not alone. The Jewish Community in Denmark (Det Jødiske Samfund) reports
that of the 18 antisemitic incidents reported within the community this year,
13 of them took place in July as the conflict between Israel and Hamas flared
up.
The
Jewish Community in Denmark reports that most of the incidents entailed
threatening messages via email or Facebook but in one case it spilled over to
the real world. A man wearing the Star of David around his neck was spit on and
his assailant attempted to rip his necklace off.
“Some of these incidents could be written
off as pranks, but when one has their life directly threatened on social media,
we have moved beyond pranks,” The Jewish Community’s Dan Rosenberg Asmussen
told Kristeligt Dagblad. “When you are spit upon on the bus and someone tries
to take your necklace, we are talking about assault.”
The
Danish-Palestinian Friendship Association disavowed the threats.
“I strongly oppose all types of antisemitic
statements,” Fathi El-Abed told Kristeligt Dagblad. “But there is a group of
people who can not figure out how to properly express themselves on the attacks
taking place in Gaza. It’s too easy to go on Facebook and express yourself
primitively.”
Asmussen
said that it is vital that the violence in Gaza does not find its way to
Denmark.
“The conflict between Israel and Hamas
shouldn’t lead to those of us in Denmark having to accept antisemitic
statements and attacks,” he said.
