Netherlands Opens National Holocaust Museum Amid Protests Over Israeli President’s Presence

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The Netherlands inaugurated its National Holocaust Museum on Sunday, March 10, 2024, in a ceremony presided over by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The opening was met with demonstrations by pro-Palestinian groups protesting Herzog’s attendance, citing Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Museum Details and Significance

The museum in Amsterdam details the stories of the 102,000 Jews deported from the Netherlands and murdered in Nazi camps during World War II, as well as the persecution they faced prior to deportation. Three-quarters of Dutch Jews were murdered by the Nazis, representing the largest proportion of any country in Europe. KCRG

Protests and Concerns

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Waterloo Square, near the museum and a synagogue, waving Palestinian flags and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Protest leaders clarified that their demonstration was directed at Herzog’s presence, not at the museum itself or its commemoration of the Holocaust. AP News

Joana Cavaco, an anti-war activist with the Erev Rav Jewish collective, questioned the use of a sacred space to “normalize genocide today.” AP News

International Attendees

In addition to King Willem-Alexander and President Herzog, Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Manuela Schwesig, president of the German Federal Council, attended the ceremony. Jewish leaders from around the world were too present. AP News

Herzog’s Trip Focus

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also held phone calls with leaders of the Dutch Jewish community following antisemitic attacks on a synagogue in Rotterdam and a Jewish school in Amsterdam over the weekend, deeming the attacks “totally unacceptable.” Isaac Herzog (X). His trip to the Netherlands also focused on securing the release of hostages and addressing global antisemitism. JNS