Fury as pro-Palestine mob stages huge protest outside Amsterdam’s National Holocaust Museum to remember ‘humanity’s darkest hour’ the same day it is opened

Pro-Palestinian protesters have been accused of preventing Jews from mourning ‘mankind’s darkest hour’ after activists today staged a huge demonstration at the opening of a new National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Dutch King Willem-Alexander officially opened the Netherlands’ first Holocaust museum, but the day was marred by protesters throwing fireworks and climbing police cars as they called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Thousands of protesters gathered near the museum and Portuguese synagogue in Waterloo Square in central Amsterdam under tight security, waving Palestinian flags and chanting ‘From the rivers to the sea, Palestine will be free’.

The protest leaders emphasized that they were demonstrating against Mr. Herzog’s presence, not the museum and what it celebrates. Amidst a sea of ​​Palestine posters, there was also a group of people waving Israeli flags.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism told MailOnline: ‘Nothing is sacred to these people. The Jews and those who care about history cannot seem to be allowed to mourn and reflect on humanity’s darkest hour without being harassed or intimidated.

‘In the discourse of the extreme left and their Islamist allies, it is forbidden to see the Jews as victims. Any mention of the Holocaust must be accompanied by some baseless and grossly offensive claim that the Jews are perpetrating one of their own.

‘As we see all too often, it is not so far from saying that the genocide of the Jews never took place.

‘People who do not respect history will never be able to learn from it. That is why they behave the way they do towards the Jews. These people are a disgrace and should be treated as such.’

Speaking at a solemn gathering at a nearby synagogue, also attended by Holocaust survivors, King Willem-Alexander said: ‘This museum shows us what devastating consequences anti-Semitism can have.’

President Herzog said the museum sent “a clear and powerful statement: remember, remember the horrors born of hatred, anti-Semitism and racism, and never let them flourish again.”

‘Unfortunately, it’s never again now, right now. Because right now hatred and anti-Semitism are flourishing around the world, and we must fight it together,’ added the president.

It comes as tens of thousands of protesters marched in central London yesterday – the 10th demonstration in central London since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists.

The president called for the ‘immediate and safe return’ of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attacks and urged the congregation to ‘pray for peace’.

Less than a mile away, protests against Herzog’s appearance at the ceremonies were organized by Jewish groups, among others, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Hundreds gathered, waving Palestinian flags and banners and chanting “Never Again Is Now,” a reference to their belief that Israel is committing genocide in the Palestinian Territory.

They booed and shouted slogans like ‘Free Free Palestine’ as the dignitaries arrived at the museum.

“There’s only one place for him here, and that’s the ICC,” said Estelle Jilissen, a 25-year-old consultant, referring to the International Criminal Court, which tries suspected war criminals.

Demonstrators had hung signs on lampposts that read: ‘Detour to the International Criminal Court’ along the route.

“Many Jews are also against his arrival here because the pain of their ancestors, the suffering of their ancestors is being smeared by the arrival of this president,” Jilissen said.

Health officials in Gaza say nearly 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive there in response to an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli numbers.

The Dutch Jewish anti-Zionist organization Erev Rave, which organized the protest along with the Dutch Palestinian Society and Socialists International, said that while it honors the memory of the Holocaust victims, it could not stand by while the war in Gaza continued.

Faced with international criticism of its campaign, Israel has stressed that it did not start the war and made every effort to minimize civilian casualties, accusing Hamas of fighting in densely populated areas.

Some of Herzog’s remarks have been cited by South Africa in its international court case against Israel. He has said that not just militants but ‘an entire nation’ was responsible for the October 7 attack and that Israel will fight ‘until we break their backbone’.

Herzog has said his comments were misrepresented and only part of what he said was cited to build a case against Israel at the ICJ, which after debating told Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza -stripe, but stopped shortly after calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Herzog, before becoming president, which is largely a ceremonial role, used to head Israel’s Labor Party, which has historically been an advocate of making peace with the Palestinians.

The museum told the media that it had invited Herzog before the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza.

It said in a statement that it acknowledged Herzog’s participation raised questions, but added that he represented the homeland of Holocaust survivors who emigrated to Israel.

Nazi Germany killed six million Jews during World War II. Three quarters of the Dutch Jewish population, 102,000 people were killed by the Nazis, the highest rate in Western Europe.

The Netherlands had never had a national museum dedicated to those who lost their lives until now.