'An eerie comeback': Amsterdam violence spotlights Europe's struggles with defining antisemitism

In certain circles, going after Israel has simply become a socially acceptable way to espouse antisemitic beliefs, says a French-Israeli sociologist

(Bloomberg) — It was when the two cars draped in Palestinian flags whizzed past the bar, their occupants screaming “f— Israel” out the windows, that Orel Scheinin and his two Israeli friends decided to cut short their night out in Amsterdam.

One of Scheinin’s friends requested a taxi in the city centre, only to receive a call from the driver asking if he was Israeli — and rejecting the booking. It wasn’t until later, once the men had separately made their ways home, Scheinin says, when they realized that they’d been caught up in the violent clashes between Israeli football supporters and rioters that were unfolding around the Dutch capital.