Belgian author who wrote that he wanted to ‘ram a knife down Jews’ throats’ is acquitted

“I see an image of a crying and screaming Palestinian boy, completely out of his mind, calling for his mother who is lying under the rubble,” Brusselmans wrote. “I get so angry that I want to ram a sharp knife through the throat of every Jew I meet.”

“Of course, you always have to remember: Not every Jew is a murderous bastard,” he continued. “I imagine an elderly Jewish man shuffling down my own street, dressed in a washed-out shirt, fake cotton trousers and old sandals, and I feel sorry for him and almost get tears in my eyes, but a moment later I wish him to hell.”

The column drew condemnation from Jewish organisations and Belgian officials.

Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, expressed outrage on X, writing, “What if someone said in the Belgian press, ‘I’m so angry I want to stick a knife in the neck of every Muslim I meet’?” Brusselmans later defended himself, claiming he was using exaggeration, irony, and sarcasm to express frustration over the war.

Despite the inflammatory language, the Ghent Criminal Court ruled that Brusselmans’ statements were protected by freedom of expression and did not exceed legal limits for prosecution.

The judge acknowledged that Jewish readers may have found the comments offensive, but ruled that they fell within the realm of artistic and political commentary, according to VRT NWS.

“The court recognises that certain members of the Jewish community could possibly take offence at some sentences in some columns, but emphasises that the author’s expressions of opinion are protected by the right to free speech,” the judge stated.

Jewish organisations around the world condemned the decision, arguing that it set a dangerous precedent for combating antisemitism in Europe.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association (EJA), strongly criticised the ruling, calling it “a deeply alarming message about the state of the fight against antisemitism in Belgium and Europe.

“Today, the Belgian justice system has established a grave precedent: hate crime laws are flexible – and when it comes to Jews, they suddenly become malleable,” he said, according to Het Nieuwsblad.

“This ruling effectively legitimises a person, read by hundreds of thousands, to openly call for the murder of Jews without facing any legal consequences,” he continued.

“It deems it permissible to publish in a national media outlet the desire to ‘stab a knife into the throat of every Jew encountered,’ all under the pretext of anger over the situation in Gaza.”

Antisemitism has surged globally since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting a military response that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to unverified figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 combatants by January, alongside another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel.

Following the ruling, Margolin warned that such decisions could embolden further antisemitic rhetoric. “By issuing such a verdict, the Belgian judiciary sends a dangerous message: incitement to murder and hatred can be reinterpreted, excused, and ultimately legitimised – at least when the targets are Jews,” he said.

The EJA called for urgent legislative reforms in Belgium to close legal loopholes that enable such rulings.

“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of any democracy, but even freedom of speech has limits. That limit is crossed the moment it is used to harm, incite, and endanger another group in society – regardless of their background,” Margolin concluded.

Michel Kotek, chairman of the Jewish Information and Documentation Centre, which filed the complaint against Brusselmans, also condemned the decision, calling it “a disgrace to Belgian jurisprudence.”

“Someone who has been making such statements since 1993 – we are no longer talking about an incident. This is a constant repetition of moves in which antisemitic statements predominate,” he said, according to VRT NWS.

“We too are for freedom of speech. But where it spills over into hatred and the deprivation of safety, that’s where a government must intervene. And that’s where it fails,” he added.

Following the decision, Brusselmans told Belgian news service VRT that he was uncertain whether he would make similar statements in the future.

“That is difficult to answer. I do not know what I will write in the future,” he said. “I write a column every week. I may adapt, I may not. But I am careful.”

Despite his acquittal, Brusselmans faces further legal challenges. On April 4, a Belgian court will decide whether he must stand trial for additional complaints related to his column.

Furthermore, on May 6, a separate case filed by three Holocaust survivors will be heard, alleging that Brusselmans violated Belgium’s laws on anti-racism and Holocaust denial.

Jewish organisations, including the Coordination Committee of Jewish Organisations in Belgium and the Forum of Jewish Organisations, have also filed civil actions against Brusselmans, arguing that his remarks fuel antisemitism and create a hostile environment for Jews in Belgium.