Uneasy Calm Returns To Amsterdam After Anti-Israel Protests At Concertgebouw

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – An uneasy calm returned Monday to the streets of Amsterdam after Dutch police said they arrested 22 people following clashes with anti-Israel protesters outside one of the world’s most famous concert halls.

At least hundreds of anti-Israel activists, some of them shouting slogans in Arabic, gathered late Sunday near Het Koninklijk Concertgebouw (the Royal Concertgebouw) to protest a Hanukkah performance by Shai Abramson, the Israeli military’s chief cantor.

Several protesters openly expressed support for Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people — including women, children, and the elderly — and abducted more than 250 others during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

HAMAS PRAISED BY PROTESTERS

Despite Hamas being designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and others, some demonstrators praised the attack.
“October 7, 2023 — the day indigenous people rose up,” read one slogan held by a masked woman.

She also shouted “Hup Hamas” toward a reporter, who police later asked to leave the area “to avoid escalation.”

Elsewhere near the Concertgebouw, Jewish residents and supporters braved angry crowds to express solidarity with Israel.

JEWISH SUPPORTERS SPEAK OUT

“You don’t need courage if you have a moral compass,” said a Jewish woman holding an Israeli flag after being told she was brave.

“You just need to know that what you’re doing is right — not wishing people dead, but standing up for those who were killed this morning. More than ten of our people were shot dead in Australia while celebrating a religious holiday,” she added.

Several lawmakers, including members of the anti-Islam and pro-Israel Party for Freedom (PVV) and the right-leaning JA21 party, echoed those concerns, describing the protest as an act of hatred toward Jews and Israel.

POLICE INTERVENE AS TENSIONS RISE

Chants of “Death, death to the IDF” — referring to the Israel Defense Forces — echoed through the area as tensions escalated.

Police said officers intervened repeatedly “to keep demonstrators at a distance and maintain public order.” Riot police used batons after protesters set off smoke bombs, and authorities confirmed that at least one officer sustained minor injuries.

Police later said 22 people were detained for offenses including violating public assembly rules, possessing fireworks, and resisting arrest.

HANUKKAH CONCERT CONTROVERSY

Abramson had initially been scheduled to lead the Concertgebouw’s annual public Hanukkah concert on Sunday afternoon. The appearance drew criticism from pro-Palestinian activists due to his ties to the Israeli military, which launched a war in Gaza after the October 7 attack.

His participation in the public afternoon concert was canceled and replaced with invitations to perform at two private evening concerts.

Dutch editor and writer Coenraad Pen questioned the compromise. “There is a compromise, but the question is whether it is justified,” he said. “Once again, the Jewish community has had to make a partial bow to injustice.”

HISTORICAL SENSITIVITIES RAISED

The Concertgebouw’s history added sensitivity to the controversy. During World War II, the venue was placed under Nazi control and banned Jewish musicians and composers.

Christians and Jews highlighted those parallels in open letters and banners reading: “1941 — For Jews forbidden / 2025 — For Israeli Jews forbidden?”

The Concertgebouw responded by stressing that “Jewish and Israeli musicians are, and will continue to be, an essential part of Het Concertgebouw’s programming.”

ANTISEMITISM FEARS PERSIST

Critics questioned why the public performance was halted while fighting in Gaza had largely paused under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire accepted by Israel, though observers note the deal remains fragile.

The Middle East conflict has increasingly spilled onto Amsterdam’s streets, where Jewish residents have reported threats and assaults, reviving painful memories for elderly Dutch Jews of antisemitism during the 1940s wartime period.

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