Afrasianet - In November, the Dutch political elite stood largely by Israeli football fans after rioting in Amsterdam and inciting violence against the local population. The injustice did not stop at the distorted narrative that Dutch politicians chose to adopt.

These clashes provided the right-wing government in the Netherlands with a convenient pretext to put forward a range of measures that clearly target the country's Muslim community. These proposals, which may have long existed in their arsenal, included the withdrawal of dual citizenship or temporary residence permits for migrants if they were deemed "anti-Semitic," noting that in the current political climate, any statement critical of Israel's genocide in Gaza is classified as anti-Semitic or terrorism.

Other measures include barring so-called anti-Semitic organizations from obtaining public funding, designating them as terrorist entities and placing them on sanctions lists, banning the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners' Support Network, and criminalizing the "glorification of terrorism."

So far, the government has implemented only one of these proposals, namely the establishment of a "task force to combat anti-Semitism." It remains to be seen whether and when other proposals will be implemented.

To anyone who has closely followed what Germany has done over the past fifteen months, the rhetoric and actions of the Dutch government may seem familiar. Over the past year, Germans have made efforts to support Israel while criminalizing and targeting the Muslim community, refugees, and immigrants. In doing so, they set a precedent, which other European countries began to follow.

In June, the German parliament passed a new citizenship law that imposes an "anti-Semitic test" on applicants and prohibits granting citizenship to anyone deemed "anti-Semitic" or not committed to Germany's fundamental principle of unconditional support for the State of Israel. The standards are based on the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which confuses anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.

Liking a social media post with slogans such as "from the river to the sea" or accusing Israel of killing children may result in the rejection of a citizenship application. Even dual nationals may not be safe, as German law allows authorities to revoke citizenship within 10 years of granting it, although standards for this remain high and rarely tested.

In October, German lawmakers approved new immigration policies that allow the state to revoke refugee status for individuals deemed to be "anti-Semitic".

In November, the German parliament passed a resolution targeting individuals and groups critical of Israel. The resolution excludes those deemed "anti-Semitic" by the  IHRA definition, or supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)  movement, from any public funding initiatives, even if their work is completely unrelated to Palestine.

The resolution also calls for the "use of repressive options" and "criminal law, residence, asylum and citizenship" against those deemed "anti-Semitic".

Although the decision is non-binding, it cannot be legally challenged, potentially has a significant impact on a civil society that relies heavily on government funding, and could normalize the violation of the rights of asylum seekers and migrants. Nadia Sammour, a senior legal adviser at the European Law Support Centre, warns that the decision "will entrench the use of migration law as a tool of persecution".

Less than two weeks after the vote on the resolution, a German foundation cited it in its decision to withdraw an architectural prize awarded to an artist who signed a speech condemning Israel.

Threats of "repressive measures" are not new to groups and organizations focused on Palestine solidarity in Germany. Since 7 October 2023, these groups have faced widespread repression, police violence, tight surveillance, their bank accounts frozen, their demonstrations and events cancelled, or banned altogether, such as Samidoun.

Rights groups have issued warnings about the authoritarian trend in Germany. These organizations have warned against violations of freedom of opinion, expression, assembly, the arts, and academic freedom. In a joint statement, major civil society organizations criticized the decision as possible for "serious violations of fundamental and human rights and significant legal uncertainty."

In asylum policies, we have seen how one country's most destructive anti-immigration measures are initially criticized, then printed, and eventually adopted by other countries. A similar pattern seems to be unfolding with the suppression of anti-Israel protests, as the Netherlands appears to be following Germany's slide toward authoritarianism. It is not the only country that does this.

In December, France passed a bill that could deprive foreigners convicted of discriminatory acts on the basis of race, religion or national origin of citizenship, naturalization or residence. This followed a proposed law in October that would make "glorifying terrorism", denying the existence of Israel, and comparing Jews or Israel to the Holocaust illegal.

In an effort to silence pro-Palestine activists, the UK introduced a new definition of extremism in March last year that prevents "extremist" groups from receiving government funding or meeting with officials.

What is troubling is the lack of sufficient public reaction against these authoritarian tendencies. In the Netherlands, public anger has focused on racist statements made by Dutch officials after the violence.

There was some objection at the end of November when the Dutch parliament accepted a motion asking the government to collect data on "standards and values" for Dutch citizens with an immigrant background.

These statements were intended to "provide insights into their cultural integration" and "address problems in a targeted way." After outrage on social media over the apparent discriminatory proposal, the Dutch prime minister promised not to act on the proposal.

But there was no wider mobilization to protest or halt any of the other repressive measures. This is the case elsewhere in Europe as well.

Europeans must understand that defending freedom of expression concerns not only Palestinians or those who express solidarity with them. The history of Europe is replete with examples where repression targeting one group has expanded to include others as well.

We must demand that our governments protect people's rights to expression and take action against Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as European complicity in it. Ignoring the issue will allow authoritarianism to spread in Europe unchecked.