MPs have approved a proposal by the fundamentalist Protestant SGP, urging the government to consider anti-Semitism as a factor when deciding on residency permits.

The motion emphasizes the need to combat anti-Semitism in the Netherlands, citing Germany's practice of deporting anti-Semitic foreign nationals. It calls on the government to explore how anti-Semitism could impact the approval or revocation of permanent and temporary residency permits, as well as applications for naturalization.

The motion, supported by the VVD, NSC, BBB, and 37 MPs from the far-right PVV, addresses the rise in anti-Semitism in the Netherlands during the Hamas-Israel conflict. SGP parliamentarian Diederik van Dijk highlighted incidents such as the display of Hamas flags and anti-Semitic chants. He stressed the motion's goal is to give greater consideration to anti-Semitism in residency permit and nationality decisions.

When pressed for justification based on statistics, Van Dijk referred to the unfortunate reality that anti-Semitism is deeply ingrained in people from Arabic and Islamic countries. The Anne Frank foundation's research revealed an increase in anti-Semitism in classrooms over the past decade, with incidents often involving swearing and abusive language, mostly football-related. The survey also noted a higher prevalence of anti-Islam and anti-sexual minority comments, mainly from youngsters with a 'western' background, particularly associated with football-related incidents involving supporters of Amsterdam club Ajax, known as 'Jews.' Photo by Zairon, Wikimedia commons.