Quote from Alex bobby on September 21, 2025, 4:23 AM

‘EU Tolerates Two Types of Jews: Those Willing to Undermine Israel and Dead Jews,’ Minister Says

In a fiery and controversial statement, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, accused the European Union of hypocrisy and moral failure in its treatment of Jewish communities and the state of Israel. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Euronews, Chikli declared that the EU was an “institution that tolerates two types of Jews: those willing to undermine Israel, and dead Jews.”

His remarks come in the wake of escalating tensions between Brussels and Jerusalem after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced proposed sanctions against Israel in response to its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. At the same time, Jewish leaders across Europe are raising alarms about the sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks against Israel in 2023.

EU-Israel Tensions Reach a New Low

During her State of the Union address last week, von der Leyen called for suspending bilateral support to Israel and partially freezing a trade deal. She accused Israel of engineering a “man-made famine” in Gaza and undermining the two-state solution through its military actions.

The European Commission’s proposal included suspending “all payments” to Israel, with only a few exceptions, such as funding for Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, and selected civil society projects.

For Chikli, this selective approach underscores what he views as deep-seated bias within the EU.

“Supporting Yad Vashem matters to Ursula von der Leyen. Living Jews mean nothing to her,” Chikli told Euronews.

He also accused Brussels of funding organisations that accuse Israel of genocide, call for boycotts, and push anti-Israel campaigns, only to then use their reports as justification for sanctions.

Surge in Antisemitism Across Europe

Beyond the political dispute, Jewish leaders are voicing grave concerns about rising hostility on European soil. Over 100 European rabbis sent a letter to von der Leyen earlier this week, warning that since the October 7 attacks, Europe had been facing “visceral antisemitic hate” on a scale not seen in decades. They urged the EU to increase security provisions and provide greater protection for Jewish communities.

The warning coincides with a wave of disturbing incidents:

• In Flensburg, Germany, a shopkeeper displayed a sign in his window reading: “Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.” The message sparked outrage across the country, underscoring how casual expressions of antisemitism have resurfaced in public spaces.
• In Liège, Belgium, a gathering of centre-right politicians commemorating Jewish leader Jean Gol descended into chaos when 400 protesters, many of them students, threw rotten apples and firecrackers at attendees, calling them “complicit in genocide” in Gaza. Twelve police officers were injured during the violence.

According to UNIA, Belgium’s equality and anti-discrimination body, antisemitic acts reported in the country quadrupled in 2024, with 277 cases recorded compared to 59 in 2023. Out of these, 79 investigations were formally opened, revealing a disturbing surge in hate-fuelled incidents.

“Leave Belgium Without Delay”

In one of the most alarming statements of the week, Chikli urged Jews to reconsider their safety in certain parts of Europe, particularly Belgium.

“I urge every Jew to leave Belgium without delay,” he said, citing the rise in violence, public hostility, and the government’s perceived indifference.

This stark warning reflects growing unease in Israel about the future of Jewish life in Europe, where communities already feel under siege from both far-right nationalism and radical leftist activism tied to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Europe’s Balancing Act

The European Commission has pushed back against accusations of antisemitism, stressing that its actions are aimed at Israel’s government policies, not Jewish communities. On Friday, a Commission spokesperson condemned those “importing the war in Gaza to Europe” and pledged to step up protection for Jewish citizens.

The EU insists that criticism of Israel’s military actions does not equate to hostility toward Jews. Yet the conflation of anti-Israel activism and antisemitic rhetoric remains a growing challenge across the continent. Demonstrations against Israel’s Gaza operations often blur the line between political protest and outright hate speech, leaving Jewish communities feeling increasingly unsafe.

The Symbolism of Yad Vashem

For many in Israel, von der Leyen’s decision to preserve funding for Holocaust remembrance while cutting other forms of cooperation carries heavy symbolic weight. It reinforces the perception that Europe is comfortable with memorialising Jewish suffering of the past but reluctant to stand in solidarity with living Jewish communities and the state of Israel today.

Chikli’s biting remark—“Living Jews mean nothing to her”—captures this sentiment. It echoes broader fears within Israel that the EU is distancing itself from Israel at a time when antisemitism is surging, leaving Jewish communities vulnerable.

A Growing Rift

The clash between Chikli and the EU is more than a war of words. It reflects a growing rift between Israel and Europe, with potential implications for trade, diplomacy, and Jewish life across the continent.

For Israel, European sanctions are viewed as a betrayal—fuelling narratives that Europe is siding with Israel’s enemies while turning a blind eye to the plight of Jewish citizens at home. For Brussels, the issue is framed as a defence of international law, human rights, and the two-state solution, with sanctions intended to pressure Israel into changing course in Gaza.

Caught in the middle are Jewish communities, facing unprecedented levels of hate speech, harassment, and violence.

Looking Forward

The coming months will test both Europe and Israel. For Brussels, the challenge lies in ensuring that sanctions against Israel’s government do not translate into hostility toward Jewish communities at home. For Israel, it means balancing its defensive policies in Gaza with the urgent need to maintain crucial partnerships abroad.

As antisemitism surges and political divisions deepen, the EU must demonstrate that it can safeguard Jewish lives today—not only honor their memory from the past. Meanwhile, Jewish communities across Europe will be watching closely to see whether promises of increased protection turn into tangible security.

In this tense climate, dialogue rather than division could be the only way forward—if both sides are willing to listen.

Conclusion

Amichai Chikli’s provocative claim that the EU only tolerates Jews who “undermine Israel” or who are dead may sound inflammatory, but it reflects the raw frustration of a government that sees itself isolated and misunderstood on the international stage. At the same time, Jewish leaders in Europe are warning that antisemitism is no longer a shadow of the past—it is a daily reality in 2024.

The challenge for Europe now is twofold: to protect Jewish citizens from rising antisemitism while ensuring its foreign policy toward Israel does not inadvertently embolden hate. Failure to strike that balance risks deepening divisions both within European societies and between Europe and Israel, at a moment when solidarity is most urgently needed.

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Israeli minister Amichai Chikli accuses the EU of hypocrisy, saying it only tolerates Jews who undermine Israel or are dead, as rabbis warn of rising antisemitism across Europe.