Star of David patch at farmers' protest in the Netherlands: "Walking on the edge"
At a protest in the Netherlands, Stars of David with the letter B were distributed, comparing the situation to the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. The organization's leader justified it: "A great injustice is being done to us." The Jewish organization CIDI: "Misuse of history, desecration of the Holocaust."
The agricultural protest organization "Farmers Defence Force" distributed stickers in the shape of a Star of David at a demonstration in the Netherlands, resembling the yellow patch that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, with the letter B inside — the first letter of the Dutch word "boer" (farmer). The organization's leader justified the move, claiming it was intended to illustrate the "great injustice" being done to farmers. The Jewish community organization CIDI strongly condemned the action and accused the protesters of desecrating the Holocaust and misusing history.
Dutch media reported that the stickers were distributed last Friday during a farmers' protest in the city of Den Bosch. According to Mark van den Oever, leader of Farmers Defence Force, the move was intended "to emphasize our position, because a very great injustice is being done to us." He added that "as a protest organization, you sometimes have to be able to walk on the edge."
"Revocation of permits — the Nazis also did that, on November 12, 1938," said Van den Oever, comparing the situation of farmers to the persecution of Jews during World War II.
The action sparked sharp reactions. During the demonstration, the police asked one of the organization's activists to remove the sticker from his shirt, and he complied with the request. Freek Verheir, a researcher at the Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI), said that farmers have the right to protest if they believe they have been treated unfairly, but condemned the use of symbols associated with the persecution of Jews.
"This comparison is completely absurd and deserves sharp condemnation," he said. "It is a misuse of history for personal gain, and the organization's leader has very little historical awareness." CIDI noted that during the coronavirus crisis, the Star of David was used in a similar way and called on the protesters to delve into history and read books about World War II.
The protest took place against the backdrop of the farmers' struggle against the Dutch government's nitrogen plan, under which farms located near natural areas may be required to close in order to meet nitrogen emission standards. Van den Oever claimed that the government and the province of North Brabant need to "come to their senses."
