Dutch prosecutors probe alleged antisemitic remarks at pro-Palestinian Amsterdam protest
Authorities in Amsterdam are investigating whether statements made during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the Dam on Thursday amounts to antisemitism, while separately reviewing the circumstances under which the remarks were delivered, officials said.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service and police are examining video footage circulating online that shows a man speaking into a microphone and referring to “the new Nazis in Israel,” adding that it was “a shame it was never finished; then we wouldn’t be dealing with this tumor, this cancer.”
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the remarks in an interview with AT5, calling them “pure antisemitism.” She said, “By making such statements, you effectively forfeit your right to peaceful protest, in my view.”
The speaker, in comments to De Telegraaf, disputed that interpretation. He said he was referring instead to the continuation of “the intifada,” the term used for two Palestinian uprisings against Israel that took place from 1987 to 1993 and from 2000 to 2005.
A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service said it is unclear how long the investigation will take. Police officers present at the Dam did not hear the statements at the time, leaving authorities reliant on video recordings as evidence.
