The Dutch secret service, according to a report by the Parool, had been monitoring Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands who returned after surviving death camps. Labeling them as

extremists and a threat to democracy, the Dutch Jews were under surveillance for years.

Archived documents from the precursor of the current AIVD security service, the BVD, revealed this unsettling revelation. The Parool gained access to these documents through the National Archives.

Reports indicate that Holocaust survivors were under surveillance until the 1980s. The BVD reportedly kept tabs on memorial services, documenting attendees. Even the Nederlands Auschwitz Comité, established in 1956 by survivors, was considered extremist and subjected to monitoring. Shockingly, there was even a mole within the organization reporting on its activities.

While none of the original members are alive today, Jacques Grishaver, the current chairman of the committee, expressed his shock at these revelations. He condemned the treatment of those who returned from the camps, stating that branding destitute survivors as enemies of the state is a massive scandal.

The AIVD, in response, contextualized these actions within the Cold War era and the fear of communism. However, Grishaver highlighted that simply being associated with a respected political party like the Dutch communist party shouldn't warrant extremist labeling.

The article also sheds light on the Netherlands' struggle to reckon with its post-war treatment of returning Jewish citizens. Many faced difficulties reclaiming their properties and possessions that were either stolen or lost. Some municipalities were unwelcoming, demanding taxes from Jews who had been in hiding or in camps during the war.

Moreover, the article mentions that only a fraction of the country's Jewish population survived the war, with a significant number deported to death camps tragically losing their lives. Photo by Hide-sp, Wikimedia commons.