Belgian author Herman Brusselmans was acquitted Tuesday by the Ghent Criminal Court of charges of Holocaust denial, racism, and incitement to hatred, despite outcry from Jewish organizations over his violent antisemitic remarks. The court ruled that his column in Humo magazine last August did not constitute a criminal offense, citing freedom of expression, as reported by VRT NWS.
Brusselmans sparked widespread condemnation after writing in his column about the war in Gaza, “I get so furious that I want to ram a sharp knife through the throat of every Jew I meet.” He also described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “small, fat, bald Jew” who wanted to “wipe out the entire Arab world.”
The column was condemned by Jewish organizations and Belgian officials, including Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “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 by claiming he was using exaggeration, irony, and sarcasm to express frustration over the war. Jewish groups, however, dismissed his remarks as dangerous incitement.
Court ruling and free speech defense
Despite the language used, the Ghent Criminal Court ruled that Brusselmans’ statements were protected under freedom of expression and “did not exceed the limits of the punishable.” The judge acknowledged that Jewish readers may have been offended, but stated that his remarks were legally protected as artistic and political commentary, according to VRT NWS.
The court further described freedom of speech as “one of the essential pillars in our democratic society,” even when it is controversial or provocative.
Jewish groups condemn ruling
Jewish organizations reacted with outrage, warning that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent and undermines efforts to combat antisemitism.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association (EJA), strongly condemned the verdict, 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 legitimizes a person, read by hundreds of thousands, to openly call for the murder of Jews without facing any legal consequences. 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,” he added.
Margolin warned that the decision 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 legitimized – at least when the targets are Jews,” he said.
The EJA called on the Belgian government to take action, demanding “urgent legislative reforms to close any legal loopholes that enable such morally and legally indefensible 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 said.
“Freedom of speech is not the freedom to spread hate and antisemitism. When the justice system legitimizes incitement, it erodes the very foundations of democracy itself,” he added.
Michel Kotek, chairman of the Jewish Information and Documentation Center, which brought the complaint against Brusselmans, also condemned the ruling, 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.
Ongoing legal challenges
Despite his acquittal, Brusselmans still faces multiple legal challenges. On April 4, a Belgian court will decide whether he must stand trial for additional complaints related to his column. Additionally, on May 6, a separate case filed by three Holocaust survivors will be heard, alleging that Brusselmans violated Belgium’s anti-racism and negationism laws.
Jewish organizations, including the Coordination Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium and the Forum of Jewish Organizations, have also filed civil actions against Brusselmans, arguing that his remarks fuel antisemitism and create a hostile environment for Jews in Belgium.
