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An Open Call to Murder Jews in a Belgian Magazine

Herman Brusselmans with his partner Lena, with whom he had a son in February 2023, Oct. 15, 2023. Photo: Dirk Annemans via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.orgA little less than a year after Nazi Germany invaded Belgium in May 1940, the Jews in the city of Antwerp—where slightly more than 50% of the country’s Jews lived at that time—were subjected to a pogrom. The violence on April 10, 1941, was carried out by supporters of a Flemish Nazi organization under the approving eyes of German officers. “They attacked two synagogues and a rabbi’s home,” according to an account published by Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust, “and were not restrained by the fire department or police.”

Paul-Henri Rips, who was 11 years old when he witnessed the pogrom, recalled that the synagogue his father had helped to found was set alight by the mob. “Now, as I stood on the corner, all I saw was a heap of prayer books, Torah scrolls and ark curtains burning on the sidewalk, flames leaping high from the building itself as it burned,” he wrote in a subsequent memoir. “Although the fire brigade was present, members of the Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (VNV, the Flemish National Union) and German officers standing nearby prevented them from extinguishing the fire.”

The mob in Antwerp had been fired up by a screening of the vicious Nazi Party propaganda film “Der ewige Jude” (“The Eternal Jew”). Shot in the ghettos of Lodz and Warsaw in Poland, the film—directed by the Nazi cineaste Fritz Hippler—depicted Jews as physically grotesque and morally depraved, rats in human form bent on world domination. One year later, the deportation of Jews in Belgium to Auschwitz and other concentration camps began in earnest.

The stench of that noxious, pogrom-stoking atmosphere pervades the latest edition of Humo, a Flemish-language weekly that purports to be a satirical magazine. One of its regular contributors, 66-year-old Herman Brusselmans, published a column that is a strong candidate for the most dangerously antisemitic article to appear online and in print in the 10 months since the Hamas pogrom in southern Israel unleashed a new wave of global Jew-hatred. Because, for all of the horrific content we’ve been exposed to during this period, explicit calls for violence outside of social-media posts have been rare. Not so with Brusselmans, who wrote candidly in a publication that enjoys a healthy circulation in Belgium that the actions of the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza made him “so angry that I want to ram a knife through the throat of every Jew I meet.” That must have been how the Flemish Nazis felt in April 1941, as they left the cinema hunting for Jews and brimming with the hatred imparted by Hippler’s film.

Like 99.9% of Americans—and probably, Europeans outside of Belgium—I’d never heard of Brusselmans before his exhortation to murder Jews appeared. Judging by his photograph and his style of writing, he rather fancies himself as a witty raconteur and social commentator proudly unbound by convention. Long, straggly hair frames an angular face that peers at you from behind heavily-rimmed black glasses. I haven’t heard him speak, but I imagine that his voice has been appropriately scorched by the cigarettes he smokes. Hermann may be a baby-boomer, his photo suggests, but he’s down with the kids. And hey, he’s funny, too.

Except that he isn’t. Really, seriously isn’t. Reading the rest of the article, I found myself wondering whether the shortage of decent columnists in Belgium is so grave that they need this guy to fill space. For a start, he’s clearly a misogynist and a homophobe who shares that disturbing European penchant for toilet humor. In the torturous paragraphs leading up to his confession that he wants to stab Jews, he tells us that he’s working on a new “collection” of his writings with the charming title, “Full of poop with an ugly woman.” Next, he describes seeing a poorly dressed elderly man walking down the street and ruminates on whether this unfortunate gentleman had a wife who committed suicide, a daughter who became pregnant at the age of 13, and a son who is “so gay that many other gays said to him, ‘Don’t exaggerate, Alain.’” Turning once more to the man’s appearance, he offers some sartorial advice: “Cut your feet off, you bastard, then you’ll be rid of those stupid sandals.”

Had I not had advance warning of what was coming, I would have stopped reading upon encountering those lines. But I persevered, learning that Brusselmans was worried about an impending World War III. Enter, of course, the Jews. It’s all the fault of a “small, fat, bald Jew who bears the ominous name of Bibi Netanyahu, and who for whatever reason wants to ensure that the entire Arab world is wiped out.” That description of Israel’s prime minister echoes the caricatures of Jews published in Nazi rags like Der Stürmer. At this point, Brusselmans morphs from a mouthy schoolboy immersed in his own sexual anxiety into the Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels, raving about the “sh***y Israeli army” murdering Palestinian children. Imagining his girlfriend and his son buried beneath the rubble of Gaza, he declares that such a sight would have him reaching for the nearest knife to drive into the nearest Jew.

Had this article appeared 30 years ago, we would likely have written Brusselmans off as an embittered failure so overwhelmed by his own neuroses that he projects them onto others. After all, antisemitism provides a natural home for sociopaths like this, allowing them to elide the real reasons for their lack of professional success, their inability to form meaningful relationships, their fixation with denigrating those around them and the nagging knowledge that as soon as they leave their barstool, everyone who remains expresses relief that the “asshole” has called it a night. But we are living in different times, in an environment where a call for a pogrom can be recast as a penetrating critique. The pain caused by contemporary antisemitism is partly rooted in the fact that we can’t ignore it. Someone like Brusselmans both understands this and seizes on it.

Since that wretched column was published, the European Jewish Association has announced legal proceedings against Brusselmans and Humo for incitement. As Assita Kanko, a Belgian member of the European parliament, pointed out: “[T]his is not about freedom of speech or satire, it’s a call to violence. It’s a call to murder.” Given their country’s laws against hate speech, one has to assume that Belgian judges have no choice but to agree with her.

Perhaps Brusselmans will land himself a prison sentence, where he can test how his attempts at humor go down with the other inmates. Perhaps he’ll get off with a fine or a suspended sentence. Perhaps his call to slaughter Jews will be ignored completely, for when it comes to punishing antisemitism in the courts, Europe these days encourages the lowest of expectations. In which case, Herman, rest assured that we Jews won’t forget. Sleep tight.

The post An Open Call to Murder Jews in a Belgian Magazine first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft

The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.

Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.

With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.

“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”

The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.

“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March

With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”

Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.

The post Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS

Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.

The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.

Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.

The post Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements

A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.

“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.

The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”

Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.

The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.

“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”

“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”

Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.

“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.

Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.

“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.

The post Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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