‘Anti-Israel activists hijacked opening Holocaust Museum,’ wrote Jonet.nl, a Dutch Jewish publication.

‘Never Again is right now. Because right now, hatred and antisemitism are flourishing worldwide,’ said Isaac Herzog in his speech at the Portuguese Synagogue. 

‘This museum shows us how anti-Semitism can have devastating consequences. That is why we must continue to account for how it began and how it went from bad to worse,’ said King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

“Never Again is right now. Because right now, hatred and antisemitism are flourishing worldwide and we must fight it, together,’’ said Israeli President Isaac Herzog as he addressed Sunday the inauguration of the new Holocaust Memorial Museum of the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

The official ceremony was held in the city’s famous Portuguese Synagogue, in the presence of  the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander, together with the President of Austria, Alexander van der Bellen, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, President of the German Federal Council (Bundesrat), Manuela Schwesig, the Mayor of Amsterdam, and Jewish leaders from around the world.

The museum is located in the historic Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, near the monument that was officially inaugurated in 2021, in memory of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust who lived in the Netherlands, where 75 %  of the country’s Jewish population perished in the Shoah. T

The exhibitions and archives at the museum tell the difficult and painful story of the Holocaust victims in the Netherlands, through video footage and photos.

President Herzog said: “Exactly forty years ago, I joined my late father, Israel’s Sixth President, Chaim Herzog, on a state visit to the Netherlands. As an officer in the British army in World War II, my father had taken part in the liberation of the Netherlands, liberating Dutch cities and villages, such as Enschede, Nijmegen and Arnhem. He also liberated survivors from concentration camps. My grandfather, the First Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Isaac HaLevi Herzog, had come to the Netherlands right after the war to find lost Jewish orphans who had been hidden from the Nazis. So, being here is, naturally, deeply meaningful for me.

He added, ‘’Too many Dutch citizens aided the Nazis. Including people in positions of power. At the same time, there were those with courage, who dared to stand up to the Nazi evil.’’

‘’At this pivotal moment in time, this Museum sends a clear, powerful statement: Remember. Remember the horrors born of hatred, antisemitism and racism. And never again allow them to flourish. Unfortunately, “Never Again” is right now. Because right now, hatred and antisemitism are flourishing worldwide, and we must fight it, together.’’

The Israeli President also  called for prayers for peace and the immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and still held by the terrorist group in Gaza.

“This museum shows us what devastating consequences antisemitism can have,” said Dutch King Willem-Alexander.

As he arrived at the Portuguese Synagogue, President Herzog was greeted with booing from anti-Israel protesters.

“Ceasefire now” and “Stop bombing children”, while holding Palestinian flags and signs that said “Jews against genocide” and “The grandchild of a Holocaust survivor says: Stop Gaza Holocaust”.

Near the new museum, a group of people held Israeli flags and pictures of the 134 hostages still held in Gaza.

Anti-Israel activists hijacked opening Holocaust Museum, wrote Jonet.nl, a Dutch Jewish publication.

Here is their report:

The opening of the National Holocaust Museum (NHM) in Amsterdam was overshadowed on Sunday by noisy anti-Israel demonstrations. Anti-Israel and anti-Semitic demonstrators were shouting in the vicinity of the Portuguese-Israeli Synagogue and the National Historic Museum. The noise could be heard during speeches at Synagogue by King Willem-Alexander and the Austrian Federal President, among others.

The activists did not want Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to attend the opening of the new museum. They oppose his attendance because they oppose Israel’s actions following the attack on more than 1,200 innocent Israeli civilians, on Oct. 7 last year.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema allowed the protesters to demonstrate on Waterlooplein, about two hundred meters away from the Synagogue;

At the entrance to the new museum, the King was met by Shoah survivor Rudi Cortissos and his great-granddaughter. While the latter welcomed Willem-Alexander, curator Annemiek Gringrold and director Emile Schrijver, the noise from the protesters did not quiet down. A handful of pro-Israel activists tried to drown out the anti-Israel activists, making it seem like a contest in loud calls and only increasing the noise.

The King remained visibly calm under the situation, as did the others present. Cortissos placed a mezuzah on the doorframe of the entrance to the museum. With that he blessed the building and then he, his great-grandchild, Willem-Alexander and the others were able to enter. Meanwhile, tempers were running high on Waterlooplein. There, demonstrators tried to break through the cordon. A few climbed onto one of the police vans. Only when the Mobile Unit got involved was the crowd brought under control. One person was arrested. The rest went free.

In their speeches, the dignitaries dwelt on the Shoah and its Dutch victims. In World War II, more than 103,000 Jews from the Netherlands were murdered because of who they were.

The King impressed many with his speech, according to many. ”The new museum makes tangible the stories of those who were killed at the time, he said. “Those stories must continue to be told. But the National Holocaust Museum tells us more than stories. This museum shows us how anti-Semitism can have devastating consequences. That is why we must continue to account for how it began and how it went from bad to worse.”

Words matter and can act like a butterfly that eventually causes a hurricane on the other side of the ocean, according to King Willem-Alexander. “It is up to all of us to prevent anti-Semitism from leading to a hurricane that blows over everything we hold dear. Let us never forget. Sobibor began in the Vondelpark, with a sign saying ‘For Jews Prohibited.’ There is no excuse for ignorance. No room for relativity. Ifs and buts are inappropriate here. Knowledge of the Holocaust is not optional.” Read the entire speech in King Willem-Alexander’s Snoge here.’’

That there would be demonstrations against Herzog was clear in advance. It is then up to the mayor of Amsterdam to issue a permit for them and to designate a location. According to experts, the places chosen by Halsema to demonstrate were very awkwardly chosen. Not only are Waterlooplein and the corner Plantage Kerklaan-Plantage Middenlaan just a stone’s throw away from the Synagogue and  and the National Historic Museum but it is also so poisonous to guess what will happen next. So what many feared beforehand happened: the protesters hijacked and overshadowed the opening.

Mayor Halsema could have designated other demonstration sites. Museumplein or Dam Square, for example, would have been safer. At that point the activists would have been able to express their opinions – media would have come there as well – and the uncomfortable moments at the Synagogue and the museum would have been avoided.