Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema defended the city’s decision to cancel a Hanukkah concert featuring Israel’s chief military cantor, Lt. Col. Shai Abramson, rejecting claims that the move was motivated by antisemitism.
The city’s renowned Concertgebouw hall called off the Jewish community’s Hanukkah event after learning of Abramson’s participation, viewing him as a representative of the Israeli military. Abramson, however, is a civilian employee of the Israel Defense Forces and not an enlisted soldier.
The decision sparked outrage within the Dutch Jewish community and in Israel. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli accused the city of “surrendering to extremists” and “normalizing the growing antisemitism in Europe.”
In a sharply worded response to Chikli’s letter, Halsema wrote: “I categorically and unequivocally reject your insinuations that this is an act of antisemitism by the city of Amsterdam or the Concertgebouw. The comparison between this case and the persecution and extermination of Jews during World War II is utterly repugnant. History demands accuracy and integrity, not manipulative use.”
Halsema, who has previously criticized Israel’s conduct during the war in Gaza, added: “I also reject any attempt to pressure or intimidate me about how or when I express my views on local matters. Amsterdam will not be governed by foreign institutions or external political agendas. I will continue to fight antisemitism and all forms of hate, in line with our laws and values.”
At the same time, the mayor acknowledged the Jewish community’s concerns about the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents. “The fear and pain felt by Jewish residents of Amsterdam are real, visible, and taken very seriously by me and by the municipality,” she wrote. “Protecting Jewish life in Amsterdam is not an empty slogan — it is a continuing and active responsibility.”
Chikli expressed outrage over Halsema’s response, saying, “This letter is truly astonishing. When it came to defending the ‘artistic freedom’ of rapper Boef and his song ‘Death to the IDF,’ she fought fiercely against canceling the show. But when Cantor Shay Abramson is invited to sing ‘Oseh Shalom’ or ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ for Hanukkah, she hides behind bureaucracy and refuses to condemn boycotts. It seems the issue here is not ‘principles’ or ‘freedom of expression.’ Perhaps Ms. Halsema suffers from the same ailment as Boef himself.”