Europe remembers Kristallnacht, but are its leaders failing today's Jews? - analysis

European leaders marked Kristallnacht with pledges to fight antisemitism, but Jewish communities in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway continue to face threats and insecurity. The article questions whether government policies in the Netherlands and Norway inadvertently intensify hostility toward Jews.

European leaders marked the anniversary of Kristallnacht with speeches condemning antisemitism and reaffirming 'Never Again,' but Jewish communities in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway continue to face threats and insecurity. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten urged Jews to stay in the Netherlands, citing security funding and his own display of a Mezuzah, but did not address whether his government's policies—including a ban on trade in West Bank settlement goods and university cooperation restrictions—contribute to Jewish isolation. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre warned of rising antisemitism and harassment of Jewish children, yet Norwegian Jews have told the Post their warnings are consistently ignored; Støre attended an anti-Zionist Kristallnacht event last year despite objections from Oslo's Jewish community. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized historical responsibility and opposed broad sanctions against Israel, but Germany recorded 8,725 antisemitic incidents in 2025. The article questions whether European governments' rhetoric and policies inadvertently reinforce the conflation of Israel with Jewish identity, and whether condemnation alone can protect Europe's Jews.