These two videos were taken in January, 2009 during the Gaza fighting. One march was organized by the supremist Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir of Denmark. One of the chants heard repeatedly in these videos is, "Khaybar, Khaybar ah Yahud", which reminds Jews of the Battle of Khaybar in the 7th century, when the armies under the Prophet Mohammed defeated a Jewish fortress at Khaybar. According to a hadith, the Jewish men were put to the sword and their women and children taken captive. The chant roughly translates as, "Oh Jews, the armies of Mohammed are returning."
It is one thing to protest in favor of the Palestinian side and against Israel. But why was it necessary to make chants specifically against Jews as people? These are not isolated incidents. We saw and heard anti-Semitic chants made during the protests in the US last January during the Gaza fighting.
The Danish people personally know what anti-Semitism is all about. During the German occupation during World War II, they heroically smuggled their Jews across the Baltic into neutral Sweden. King Christian X, who remained in Denmark during the occupation and rode his horse daily through the streets as a sign of sovereignty, was quoted as saying that if the Danish Jews were forced to wear the Star of David, all Danes should wear it.
King Christian X of Denmark
Today's Danes may have differing views when it comes to the Israeli issue, but they owe it to their Jewish citizens to make a public show of opposition to this kind of rhetoric.
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