Sunday’s opening of the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, which should have taken place in a serene and somber atmosphere, instead witnessed aggressive disruption by pro-Palestinian activists. Some 1,000 people had gathered in the nearby Waterloo Square, where they were protesting the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Groups of protesters challenged each other in front of the building. A group of Palestine supporters shouted slogans such as “shame on you” at a dozen pro-Israel demonstrators who, in turn, waved their Israeli flags.
Despite the presence of many police officers and riot police, some among the pro-Palestine camp managed to climb onto a police van and puncture tires, while others threw eggs and set off fireworks. On the police vans, protesters stuck pamphlets featuring the head of the Israeli President, accompanied by the text ‘wanted.’
One individual repeatedly shouted “Hamas is my brother,” referring to the group that has been deemed a terrorist organization by the EU.
Every person who either entered or left the museum was booed and cursed at. Videos show guests being called “f***ing Jews” and “f***ing Zionists.”
Even more provocatively, the chant “never again is now” drew a direct comparison between the Holocaust and Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.
Thirteen protesters have been detained and charged with disturbing the peace and vandalism. Among the suspects is one minor, reports AD.
No acts of violence or general troublemaking were observed among the pro-Israel activists, who instead quietly displayed a banner showing pictures of people who were kidnapped and held hostage during the October 7th attack by Hamas.
The museum stands on the very site where tens of thousands of Jews were gathered to be deported to the death camps and is housed in a former teacher training college that was used as an escape route to help some 600 Jewish children evade capture by the Nazis.
In the nearby 17th-century Portuguese synagogue, Israeli president Isaac Herzog inaugurated the museum by saying the opening occurred “at a time when antisemitism is rising and spreading all over the world, and that “the entire family of nations must learn the lessons of the Holocaust, and stand up to hatred and antisemitism.”
During the proceedings in the synagogue, chants by protesters outside could be clearly heard, which the Israeli president chose not to acknowledge.
King Willem-Alexander, during his speech, said that “people should continue to know how the Holocaust began and how it went from bad to worse. He described how the Sobibór extermination camp “began with a sign in the Vondelpark [the most-visited park in Amsterdam]” which read “forbidden to Jews.”
”This museum shows us how it transpired, not so long ago,” Willem-Alexander added.
Following the ceremony, which was attended by outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and foreign dignitaries, some of the attendees went on to visit the museum.
At the museum, King Willem-Alexander handed a mezuzah (a piece of parchment inscribed with Hebrew verses from the Torah, which believers fix to the doorposts of their homes) to the great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivor Rudie Cortissos.
The pro-Palestinian protest has been roundly criticized on social media, including the fact that its participants were allowed to demonstrate so close to the ceremony, with the ultimate blame falling on leftist mayor Femke Halsema (GroenLinks).
Equally noteworthy was public broadcaster NOS’ coverage of the event which filtered out the stream of offensive words from the protestors.
On Monday, Partij voor de Vrijheid leader Geert Wilders—a staunch defender of Israel in its efforts to rid itself of Hamas—met Israel’s president, to whom he reiterated his “full support in its [Israel’s] fight against terror.”
The National Holocaust Museum officially opened its doors to the public that same day.
