Europe on the abyss: How authoritarian measures threaten freedom!

Europe on the abyss: How authoritarian measures threaten freedom!

An alarming pattern of repression is spreading in Europe!

under the pretext of taking pro-Palestinian activities, authoritarianism sneaks into the European countries. A particularly revealing case comes from the Netherlands, where the political elite in November protected the Israeli football fans after a violent incident in Amsterdam. The disputes with the residents were shown by the politicians and used as an excuse to take measures that are specifically directed against the Muslim community.

The Dutch government has placed a number of proposals on the table that aimed at withdrawing dual citizens of their passports and withdrawing migrants their residence permits if they are considered "anti -Semitic". In the current political atmosphere, almost any criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza can be classified as anti -Semitic or terroristically.

The shadows of repression

A look at Germany shows that these developments are not isolated. The German government has followed an aggressive line in the past 15 months that not only supports Israel, but also criminalizes Muslim, refugees and migrant communities. A new citizenship law, which was adopted in June, demands an “anti-Semitism check” from applicants and excludes those who are considered “anti-Semitic” or are not on Germany's unconditional support for the Israeli state. A simple “like” on a social media contribution that criticizes Israel could already be enough to refuse citizenship.

a worrying trend

In October, German legislators passed new immigration policies that enable the state to revoke the refugee status of people who are considered to be “anti -Semitic”. In addition, a resolution was adopted in November that is directed against individuals and groups that criticize Israel. This resolution, although not binding, could have a massive impact on civil society that is strongly dependent on government funding.

Repression against Palestinian solidarity groups in Germany has increased since October 7, 2023. Massive police force, surveillance and freezing bank accounts are just a few of the measures that have been taken. Human rights organizations raise the alarm and warn of an authoritarian course that endangers freedom of expression, the right to assemble and the rights of asylum seekers.

In France and Great Britain, similar developments can be observed. A draft law in France could deny foreign citizens who were convicted of discriminatory actions, citizenship and stay. A new definition of extremism was introduced in the United Kingdom that prohibits “extremist” groups.

The public reaction to these authoritarian tendencies remains worryingly weak. In the Netherlands, the public outcry focused more on racist statements by civil servants than on repressive measures themselves. Although there were some resistance to discriminatory proposals, mobilization against the other measures is missing.

It is crucial that Europeans understand that the protection of freedom of expression does not only affect Palestinians and their supporters. The story shows that repression that affects a group can be quickly expanded to others. We have to demand that our governments defend the right to freedom of expression and act against the complicity of Europe in the violence against Palestinians.

-transmitted by West-Ost-media