A Dutch Journalist's Eye-Opening Experiment in Amsterdam

In recent days, a Dutch journalist conducted a noteworthy experiment: he wore a yarmulke and visited Muslim neighborhoods in Amsterdam to gauge the attitude toward Jews in those areas. With the yarmulke on his head, he engaged passersby about anti-Semitism, prompting a barrage of hostility. He faced verbal abuse, anti-Semitic slurs against Jews and Israel, and narrowly avoided being physically attacked. The video documenting his experience went viral, surpassing half a million views on Facebook.

In the past year, a significant rise in anti-Semitic incidents has been recorded in the Netherlands. This prompted the journalist, who is not Jewish, to explore whether someone wearing a yarmulke could walk safely in those areas of the city. Wearing the yarmulke, he approached people to ask their opinions on the situation, Israel, and Jews.

"Jews are cancer," one passerby shouted at him. Another yelled, "Free Palestine". In a separate incident, an interviewee grabbed the microphone and ran off. Others yelled "Hamas, Hamas" at him. At one point, a bicyclist shouted "You Jews, you are murderers" and attempted to hit him.

When the journalist asked a woman about anti-Semitism in Amsterdam, she walked away without responding. Another Muslim individual deliberately stepped on the journalist's foot. "Are you ignoring me because I'm wearing a yarmulke?" the journalist asked. The man, who appeared of Muslim descent, attempted to strike him, and only by luck did the journalist escape unharmed.

Among the responses were a few thoughtful opinions on Israel and Jews. A young man from Morocco explained he had nothing against Israel, stating, "In Islam, we must respect all religions." Another individual of Muslim origin was asked how he would react if Muslims faced apartheid, and he replied, "I don't care about Jews. If it happened to Muslims, I would express my opinion."