Christians for Israel director warns of rising antisemitism in Netherlands, urges believers to speak out

Dr. Leon Meijer, executive director of Christians for Israel International, spoke with Christian journalist Paul Calvert this month about the biblical basis for the organization’s work and the growing hostility it faces in the Netherlands, urging believers not to remain silent.

Meijer explained that Christians for Israel (C4I) began in the Netherlands roughly 45 years ago and has since expanded to dozens of countries. Part of its mission is to help Christians understand Israel’s significance and position according to scripture.

“We also have sometimes a difficulty that when people hear the name Christians for Israel, I always have to explain: Our name is not Christians for Netanyahu. Our name is not Christians for the government of Israel. No. When there are new elections in Israel, there is a new government. We are still Christians for Israel.”

For Meijer, that distinction is essential: “Our sympathy or support of Israel is not based on political decisions. It's based on the Bible.”

C4I's commitment is expressed through teaching, conferences, books, and media outreach. They also provide practical support and have taken on a wide range of humanitarian initiatives in Israel, including a soup kitchen in Jerusalem, support for vulnerable youth in Tel Aviv, aid for Holocaust survivors, and assistance for Jewish families immigrating to Israel (making aliyah) and building new lives in the land.

The interview also highlighted what Meijer described as a deteriorating social climate in Europe. He spoke candidly about rising antisemitism in Dutch cities, growing reluctance among many Jews to display visible signs of their identity, and an increasing sense that moving to Israel may become necessary. Meijer said he believes, “Every Friday at Shabbat dinner in every Jewish home in Holland, the discussion is not if we will go to Israel, but when we will go to Israel.”

He also described direct attacks against C4I, which include vandalism, repeated protests, and even a bombing attempt at their offices. Meijer said these incidents have only reinforced his belief that deeper forces are at play.

Referring to today’s media, Meijer drew an alarming historical parallel from World War II and the Holocaust.

“It is shocking. It is shocking in a way that I often thought, how could the people be led so astray as they did in Nazi Germany?” He warned that one-sided narratives can be used to prepare the ground for dangerous ideas to spread again.

Even so, Meijer emphasized that the response should not be driven by fear, but by what he described as the responsibility of Christians to take a stand and remain vocal in their convictions.

Click here to listen to Dr. Leon Meijer's full interview with Paul Calvert of Bethlehem Voice.