Belgian writer who wanted to 'shove a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew" acquitted in court

A Belgian court has acquitted the controversial writer and poet of hate speech against Jews, claiming he has the right to free expression.  

Herman Brusselmans was acquitted after the court acknowledged in its official ruling "that members of the Jewish community may have been hurt by some of the statements" but emphasized that "the writer’s words are protected by the right to freedom of expression."

The judge stressed that the freedom of expression is "one of the central pillars of our democratic society."

In August 2024, Brusselmans accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of murdering Gazan children and leading the world towards World War 3. The Belgian author also articulated a violent urge to murder Jews.

"I see a picture of a crying, screaming Palestinian child, completely overwhelmed, calling for his mother who lies under the rubble, and I imagine that child is my son Roman, and the mother is my partner Lena. I am so angry that I want to shove a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew I encounter," Brusselmans wrote in the Belgian magazine HUMO.

Despite his remarks, the Belgian court ruled that Brusselmans' statements "did not cross criminal boundaries," arguing they should be viewed in a broader context. Without concrete evidence, the court concluded he neither incited hatred or violence against Jews nor denied the Holocaust.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association, condemned the Belgian court’s decision, arguing that it justifies hatred and violence against Jewish people.

"Today, the Belgian judicial system set a dangerous precedent: hate crime laws are flexible – and when it comes to Jews, they suddenly disappear," Margolin stated. "This ruling creates an unacceptable precedent – it effectively grants legitimacy to someone with an audience of hundreds of thousands to publicly call for the murder of Jews without facing any legal consequences."

Margolin further criticized the court’s ruling as an attack on the principle of rule of law, a cornerstone in any Democratic society.

"With this decision, the Belgian judicial system sends a dangerous message: incitement to murder and hatred can be reinterpreted, justified, and ultimately legitimized – at least when the target is Jews. This ruling is not just a legal mistake; it is a complete betrayal of fundamental principles of the rule of law."

Margolin emphasized that free speech has its limits when it endangers the lives of people.

"The line is crossed when it is used to incite, harm and endanger another group in society – regardless of their background. Freedom of speech is not freedom to spread hatred and antisemitism. When the judiciary legitimizes incitement, it erodes the very foundations of democracy," he argued.

Margolin urged European nations to take decisive action against antisemitism.

"Europe and its democracies must stand at the forefront of the fight against antisemitism. Allowing this precedent to stand means inviting the worst kind of deterioration.”

Radicalized Muslims play a disproportionate role in the antisemitic incidents in Belgian society.

In February 2024, Belgium's justice minister, Paul Van Tigchelt, warned that the Hamas terrorist organization operates on Belgian soil.