A former Dutch European Commissioner sparked a storm of criticism after declaring that Orthodox Jews should consider "emigrating to the United States or to Israel," because there is "no future for them" in the Netherlands.
According to Dutch daily newspaper De Volkskrant, the remarks by Frits Bolkestein were quoted in a book on the Jewish community in the Netherlands writte by researcher Manfred Gerstenfeld, titled ‘Het Verval ‘(The Decline).
The former leader of the Dutch liberal VVD party bases his opinion on what he perceives as the threat to Dutch Jews posed by Holland’s supposedly poorly integrated and anti-Semitic Moroccan community.
"I see no future for recognizable Jews, in particular because of anti-Semitism, specifically among young Dutch Moroccans, who continue to grow in number," Bolkestein reportedly said.
The former EU Commissioner added that the many Arab television channels in Holland contribute to the spread of anti-Semitism. He said he has no confidence in proposed measures to combat anti-Jewish sentiment.
"The Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to fester," Bolkestein said. "I foresee no quick solution, and anti-Semitism will continue to exist. Moroccan and Turkish young people won't care about the measures."
Bolkestein gave his name to the famous EU directive on the internal market for services.
Another Dutch politician, populist Geert Wilders, who is currently on a visit to Israel, reacted at Bolkestein's remarks by saying: "It is the anti-Semitic Moroccans who should emigrate."