More than eight percent of Dutch municipalities are still willing to supply certificates stating that a person is not Jewish, according to a survey taken by the Israel Committee of The Netherlands. Such a statement is needed by many Dutch citizens working or traveling in the Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states where many Dutch firms now operate.
The Committee says that such a statement is in violation of the international agreement against racial discrimination and it will ask the Ministry of Interior to ban the practice. The number of municipalities issuing certificates may be actually higher since 16 percent refused to answer the question.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
