Hilversum alderman resigns after controversy over Gaza remarks
Hilversum alderman Bart Heller (GroenLinks) resigned Monday morning following a dispute over his comments on Gaza. He announced his resignation in a letter shared on LinkedIn.
The controversy began after Heller responded to an email from a local family asking the municipality to express sympathy for Jewish victims of Hamas. In his reply, Heller highlighted the suffering of “all children affected by the conflict in Gaza, regardless of their name, religion, or the color of their skin, hair, or eyes.”
His email also stated that the Israeli military had “directly killed more than 15,000 children since the invasion of Gaza.” Heller later admitted he mistakenly believed the email was addressed personally to him rather than all aldermen. He called this “a serious misjudgment” and apologized but refused to retract the content of his message.
Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs reportedly called the email “antisemitic.” The matter was then discussed within the municipal executive, where it was deemed “problematic.” According to Heller, part of the concern stemmed from potential public backlash from groups such as the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) and Christians for Israel.
“If my views in this highly polarized time are incompatible with being an alderman—the most fantastic job in the world—it deeply saddens me,” Heller wrote in his resignation statement. “But that is an insignificant price compared to the immense suffering children in Gaza endure daily.”
The Hilversum municipal executive distanced itself from “the content and tone” of Heller’s email but respected his decision to step down. Officials are now working on redistributing his responsibilities.
GroenLinks Hilversum stated that it did not consider Heller’s email antisemitic. “We respect his decision and understand that he has taken responsibility for an email that should never have been written or sent,” the party said.
