Ronny Naftaniel, the former leader of Holland’s main pro-Israel lobby, was feted by the Dutch prime minister and hundreds of others.

“I grew up observing you,” Premier Mark Rutte told Naftaniel Monday at a speech at Naftaniel’s retirement party at the Hague’s Royal Theater. “Your optimism is unparalleled and as long as you maintain that courage, so shall we.”

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Naftaniel led the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI, for approximately 40 years. In addition to pro-Israel work, under Naftaniel the center became the country’s leading watchdog on anti-Semitism.

Also in attendance were former foreign minister Maxime Verhagen and Frits Bolkestein, an ex-European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services.

Established in the wake of the 1973 Arab oil boycott, the Hague-based center has a staff of about 10 and is considered one of Western Europe’s most active pro-Israel groups. Along with its youth division, CIDI sends dozens of Dutch and Belgian journalists, teachers and politicians on fact-finding mission to Israel annually.

Haim Divon, Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, said: “You are the voice of the Dutch Jewry and saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t begin to cover it.”

In interviews with Dutch media, Naftaniel said that because of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic tendencies, CIDI’s work “is unfortunately more relevant now than ever.” He added: “I found the turnout extremely impressive. Friends of Israel from all corners of the Netherlands and beyond came especially for this event and I hope it shows something about what my work has meant for the community.”

In addition to his work for Israel and against anti-Semitism, Naftaniel also had a key role in restitution talks with the Dutch government for Holocaust-era property, which yielded $500 million in compensation in the years 2000-2002.

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