By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – A Dutch Christian foundation supporting efforts to provide the Gospel, Bibles, and humanitarian aid to Jews is among the latest pro-Israel groups to distribute its publication in a sealed envelope amid mounting antisemitism in the Netherlands.
Israel en de Bijbel (Israel and the Bible) sends its regular magazine with the same name no longer in an open package, noted its senior supporter and journalist Johan Th. Bos.
“These are a sign of the times,” he told Worthy News. Earlier, the editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (New Israeli Weekly or NIW), Esther Voet, said she no longer sends out her magazine “openly” every week.
She said the decision came after subscribers, including Jewish people, explained concerns about possible repercussions due to the Israel-Hamas war. “We as NIW have had to decide not to send out our magazine anymore openly,” Voet added.
“The magazine is now sent in a white envelope. That is the first time, and we have been around since 1865. We are the oldest opinion weekly in the Netherlands,” she explained.
The editor-in-chief says many “are afraid to receive that magazine in the mail. I have always strongly opposed [to hide] it. There has always been fear, but we have now had to decide this.”
The faction leader of the social liberal Democraten 66 (Democrats 66) party, Rob Jetten, stressed it was time to “prevent polarization in our society.” He added, “It is a terrible example that a magazine must be sent in a neutral envelope.”
UNDER PRESSURE
However, his party has come under pressure over the influx of mainly Muslim migrants, as many were seen at anti-Israel rallies.
In recent elections, the anti-Islam Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom) became the largest party in the lower house of Parliament, reflecting among voters about antisemitic incidents.
It comes after people in Amsterdam were asked by authorities to take off their yarmulkes and take down their Israeli flags during a recent pro-Israel protest, citing security concerns.
At the same time, Jewish schools in Amsterdam were closed, Jewish children’s organization Cheider said, amid reports that Dutch police could not guarantee their safety.
Within the Dutch Jewish community, there are fears of incidents after Hamas called for protests across the Muslim world, a Holocaust survivor told Worthy News.
She fears an atmosphere of hatred as existed ahead of the Holocaust, or Shoah, when some 75 percent of the roughly 140,000 Jews living in the Netherlands were killed.
The tensions in the Netherlands highlighted broader concerns in Europe’s anti-Jewish sentiments that have prompted many Jews to migrate to Israel.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Millions of Ukrainians spent Christmas without electricity after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure killed civilians and triggered widespread power outages, Ukrainian officials said.
Christmas Eve passed with little public observance across much of China this year as authorities under the Chinese Communist Party intensified restrictions on religious gatherings, public celebrations, and even seasonal decorations, according to pastors, Christians, and residents who spoke to The Epoch Times.
A coalition of 19 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit challenging new federal restrictions on so-called “gender-affirming” medical treatments for minors, arguing the policy unlawfully threatens health care access and state Medicaid programs.
A booming stock market propelled California’s main state retirement fund to near-record returns, but the fund is still $166 billion short on its obligations, according to the Reason Foundation. With the taxpayer-funded Legislative Analyst’s Office warning the state should be ready for a possible stock market peak and downturn as weak economic conditions persist, the 12-figure pension shortfall could widen once again – and leave taxpayers with the bill.
Talks between Israel and Syria over a potential security agreement have advanced significantly in recent weeks and could be finalized soon, according to an exclusive report by i24NEWS citing a Syrian source close to Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Israeli security forces announced Thursday that the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet eliminated a senior operative in Iran’s Quds Force during a strike in northeastern Lebanon.
The United States carried out a targeted military strike against Islamic State terrorists in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, acting in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a series of social media posts.