Amsterdam Mayor's Apology: Acknowledging Historical Injustices

Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema apologized for the city's role in persecuting Jewish citizens during World War II, acknowledging the complicity of civil servants. Speaking on Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, she emphasized the city's failure and renewed efforts to combat antisemitism and confront historical wrongdoings.

On Thursday, Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema issued a profound apology for the city's involvement in the tragic persecution of Jewish citizens during World War II. She expressed remorse for the government's actions, stating that the city had "let its Jewish residents down terribly." Her apology marked a poignant moment at an event commemorating Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Halsema reminded attendees that of the estimated 80,000 Jews in Amsterdam at the war's start, merely 20,000 survived. Notable victims included Anne Frank's family, with only her father, Otto Frank, surviving. The mayor criticized the past Amsterdam government's lack of heroism and mercy, highlighting its participation in Jewish registrations and other anti-Jewish measures.

This apology coincides with the approaching 80th anniversary of the Netherlands' liberation from Nazi rule. Previously in 2020, the Dutch Protestant Church and other national bodies acknowledged their own roles in these historic tragedies. With renewed focus on addressing past injustices, the mayor's statements reinforce commitments to eradication of antisemitism, exacerbated by recent antisemitic incidents in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)