THE HAGUE - Frans Timmermans is working to ease tensions in GroenLinks-PvdA over Israeli president Isaac Herzog attending the opening of the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam last Sunday. GroenLinks was against his presence. The PvdA, which has deep ties with the Jewish community, especially in post-WWII Amsterdam, wasn’t. The issue is causing some strife.
Last week Friday, GroenLinks-PvdA parliamentarian Kati Piri made a statement on behalf of the faction. She said that Herzog’s invitation was “undesirable” given the war in Gaza and would overshadow the opening of the Holocaust museum. She asked Prime Minister Mark Rutte to address him about his responsibilities for the “atrocities in Gaza.”
The statement caused Ronny Naftaniel, a former director of the Jewish interest organization CIDI, to cancel his membership to GroenLinks-PvdA last week. Several prominent party members called on the party leadership to enter into discussions with representatives of the Jewish community. They also said that the party leaders must take immediate action against anti-Semitic statements by GroenLinks-PvdA members and set up an advisory body with representatives of all faiths to provide advice on “sensitive issues.”
Reshma Roopram, one of the GroenLinks-PvdA members who filed the motion calling for the above, told NOS that the fight against anti-Semitism “must never be followed by ‘but.’” She said it was important for the Jewish community that a representative of the State of Israel was present at the opening of the Holocaust museum. “He also represented the people of Israel who may be strongly opposed to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s policies.”
GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans defended the statement made by Piri on the parliamentary faction’s behalf, saying it was meant “to show where we stand.” GroenLinks-PvdA wanted the opening of the National Holocaust Museum to be about the Dutch victims of the Holocaust and the Dutch role in the war, not about Herzog’s attendance. He is touched by the fact that “we have caused people grief,” Timmermans said. “That is the very last thing we wanted to do.”
Timmermans is in talks with Jewish party members, he said. “We’re looking at how we can best give shape to the fight against anti-Semitism,” he told NOS.
Timmermans also denied that Piri’s statement came about under pressure from GroenLinks, which has more supporters for the Palestinian cause, and that the matter is putting pressure on the merger process between the two left-wing parties. “It has nothing to do with GroenLinks or PvdA.” He said that both parties are looking for “the right balance” and that it is possible to fight anti-Semitism and speak up about things done by the Israeli government that “do not help the process there.”
Herzog’s invitation to the museum’s opening sparked immediate controversy. Several mosques asked King Willem-Alexander not to attend the opening with Herzog there, pointing out that the Israeli president himself was involved in the attacks in Gaza. In December, he wrote the words “I trust you” on a massive grenade shortly before it was fired on the densely populated Palestinian territory.
About a thousand people gathered on Waterlooplein to protest against Herzog. The demonstrators found it incomprehensible that he would be invited to open the museum focused on the genocide of Jewish people in World War II while his country was slaughtering Palestinian people in Gaza by the thousands.
Their protests could be heard during the opening ceremonies, and several guests felt confronted by protesters - something that sparked criticism of Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema for allowing the protest. Witnesses said they heard anti-Semitic slogans shouted by protesters. In a letter to the Amsterdam city council on Thursday, Halsema said that the Public Prosecution Service was studying footage available from the day and has so far found “no criminal expressions.” She urged witnesses and victims of anti-Semitic and other criminal expressions to come forward and file a police report.
