Minister backs use of decoy Jews but urges caution

Caretaker justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin is not opposed to the use of undercover police officers disguised as Jews in an effort to reduce anti-semitic violence, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.


However, undercover officers should be used on a case by case basis, rather than on a large scale, the minister told MPs. In addition, surveillance cameras can be put up in places where anti-semitism is common, he said.
The suggestion to use decoys was made by a Labour MP, following a tv programme which included secret tv recordings showing young men shouting and making Nazi salutes at a rabbi when he visited different areas of Amsterdam.
Incidents
The minister told MPs steps have already been taken to improve the reporting of anti-Jewish incidents and an action plan is being drawn up to combat anti-semitism in general.
The Israel information centre Cidi has reports of 167 anti-semitic incidents last year, up from 108 in 2008. So far this year, there have been 70. These figures do not include Amsterdam police reports, Cidi said.
Threatening emails, graffiti and vandalism and swearing account for the bulk of the incidents.

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