The Mayor of Brussels has denounced the "unbearable" increase in antisemitism across Belgium over the past month and urged his fellow citizens to address the security concerns of the country's "scared" Jewish community.
In an interview with Le Soir, Philippe Close (PS) also emphasised that the surge in antisemitism is particularly distressing given the horrors endured by Belgian Jews during the Nazi occupation in World War Two.
"You know, I meet Jews every day, and we have to call things as they are: the Jews are afraid," he said. "It's unbearable. This is not normal in a society like ours which has worked precisely so [we can say]: 'never again'."
Close illustrated the point by mentioning that representatives of the Union of Jewish Students of Belgium recently told him that they were "scared to death".
"21-year-old kids are scared in my city, in my country," he said. "Society must act on this, just as it acts – at times – on acts of racism. Here, today, it is the Jews who are afraid."
'Brussels without Jews is not Brussels'
Echoing the conclusions recently reached by Unia, an anti-discrimination group, Close noted that the rise in antisemitism since the Israel-Gaza war erupted on 7 October has not been confined to the Belgian capital.
"[It's] all over the country!" he said. "I should be clear: whatever their opinions, we can never – and we must be extremely vigilant in this regard – blame them for who they are, which is to say Jews."
However, he also stressed that antisemitism is particularly at odds with Brussels' cosmopolitan character.
Philippe Close. Credit: Belga
"Brussels without the Jews is not Brussels; Brussels without the Muslims is not Brussels; Brussels without the 184 nationalities who live there is not Brussels. We claim cosmopolitanism as an asset."
Close added that a total of six "antisemitic acts" have been committed in Brussels since 7 October. However, he noted that these deeds alone do not properly convey the level of fear felt by the city's Jewish community.
"These [acts] do not include everything that people can feel when they read on social networks, watch videos," he said.
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In addition, the Mayor emphasised that those with pro-Palestinian sympathies should also be concerned about the rise in antisemitism.
"It is not because we are defenders of the Palestinian cause that we must sometimes feel that we should be a little less radical about antisemitism," he said. "Whatever the cause that we defend... we must hear this."
Close also expressed his fears that his comments would be misunderstood.
"By giving you this interview, I know the risk I am taking, because even the slightest word can be misconstrued," he said. "But, today, a population is afraid. We must say it and react."
