'Machinery of evil': Amsterdam mayor apologizes for city's role in the Holocaust
AMSTERDAM — The mayor of Amsterdam apologized on Thursday for the role the Dutch capital played in the persecution of its Jewish citizens during the Second World War, saying the government at the time 'let its Jewish residents down terribly.'
Article content
Article content
Speaking at an event marking Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, Mayor Femke Halsema said that civil servants in Amsterdam played an active role in the murder of thousands of the city's Jewish citizens.
Article content
Article content
Of the estimated 80,000 Jews who lived in Amsterdam at the outbreak of the Second World War, only about 20,000 survived. Among those deported was teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family. Only her father, Otto, survived.
Article content
'On behalf of the city government, I offer my apologies for this,' she added. Halsema spoke at Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theatre which operated as a collection point for Jews who were deported to extermination camps.
Article content
She recalled how the municipality helped with the registration of Jewish citizens and the drawing up of cards where Jews lived.
Article content
'Services were prepared to help enact one after the other anti-Jewish measure,' she said. 'Step by step, the municipal machine became part of the machinery of evil.'
Article content
Article content
Halsema's apology — ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Netherlands' liberation from the Nazis — was not the first from the Netherlands.
Article content
Article content
Five years ago, on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized for the failure of the Dutch government during the war.
Article content
Article content
Some Dutch organizations have also issued apologies for their own roles in the historic tragedy. The Dutch national railway company apologized in 2005 for its role in transporting Jews to camps and announced it would pay reparations.
Article content
Halsema's apology comes six months after what she described as 'an eruption of antisemitism' in which Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in the Netherlands. The attacks garnered headlines worldwide and more than sixty suspects were arrested.
Article content
Four years ago, she apologized for Amsterdam's role in another dark moment in history, the global slave trade.
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Texas can't put the Ten Commandments in certain school districts' classrooms, judge says
Texas cannot require public schools in Houston, Austin and other select districts to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, a judge said Wednesday in a temporary ruling against the state's new requirement. Texas is the third state where courts have blocked recent laws about putting the Ten Commandments in schools. A group of families from the school districts sought a preliminary injunction against the law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1. They say the requirement violates the First Amendment's protections for the separation of church and state and the right to free religious exercise. Texas is the largest state to attempt such a requirement, and U.S. District Judge Fred Biery's ruling from San Antonio is the latest in a widening legal fight that's expected to eventually go before the U.S. Supreme Court. 'Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer. That is what they do,' Biery, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, wrote in the ruling that begins by quoting the First Amendment and ends with 'Amen.' The ruling prohibits the 11 districts and their affiliates from posting the displays required under state law. The law is being challenged by a group of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, and nonreligious families, including clergy, who have children in the public schools. A broader lawsuit that names three Dallas-area districts as well as the state education agency and commissioner is pending in federal court. And although Friday's ruling marks a major win for civil liberties groups, the legal battle is likely far from over. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he planned to appeal the ruling, calling it 'flawed.' 'The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our moral and legal heritage, and their presence in classrooms serves as a reminder of the values that guide responsible citizenship,' the Republican said in a statement, echoing sentiments from religious groups and conservatives who support the law. Texas has a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds and won a 2005 Supreme Court case that upheld the monument. The families who sued were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. 'The court affirmed what we have long said: Public schools are for educating, not evangelizing,' Tommy Buser-Clancy, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. A federal appeals court has blocked a similar law in Louisiana, and a judge in Arkansas told four districts they cannot put up the posters, although other districts in the state said they're not putting them up either. In Louisiana, the first state that mandated the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms, a panel of three appellate judges in June ruled that the law was unconstitutional. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Biery, the judge, cited both the Louisiana and Arkansas cases in his 55-page ruling. He also includes extensive historical references, quotes that range from the Founding Fathers to evangelist Billy Graham, and even a Rembrandt painting of Moses holding the stone tablets alongside an image of actor Charlton Heston in the film 'The Ten Commandments.' Having the displays in classrooms, Biery wrote, would likely pressure children of the parents challenging them into adopting the state's preferred religion and suppressing their own religious beliefs. The judge said there are ways students could be taught the Ten Commandments' history without it being placed in every classroom. 'For those who disagree with the Court's decision and who would do so with threats, vulgarities and violence, Grace and Peace unto you,' he wrote. 'May humankind of all faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs be reconciled one to another.' ___ This story has been updated to correct that the ruling covers specific school districts in Texas, not the entire state, and to correct the identities of the plaintiffs and defendants.
Global News
12 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. MLA launches private prosecution of Samidoun organizer, alleging terrorism
A British Columbia MLA has taken the unusual step of launching a private legal action against a Vancouver woman who was investigated for hate speech. Police arrested Charlotte Kates and recommended she be charged with willful promotion of hatred and public incitement of hatred for an April 29, 2024, speech at the Vancouver Art Gallery in which she praised the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel as 'heroic and brave' and led a crowd in a chant of 'Long live Oct. 7.' Kates is the international director of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which was listed as a terrorist entity last October, after it held a rally where people chanted 'death to Canada' and burned the Canadian flag in Vancouver. With nearly a year and a half after Kates' initial comments, Jewish groups have been asking why it has taken so long for the BC Prosecution Service to decide whether to proceed with charges. Story continues below advertisement 2:14 Questions about no decision on hate related charges against Charlotte Kates On Wednesday, OneBC party Leader Dallas Brodie announced she would file a private prosecution against Kates. 'This is a citizen's right. I will be laying the information in the courthouse behind me, setting out the reasonable grounds on which I believe the Charlotte Kates ought to be prosecuted for terrorism, offences against our Criminal Code,' Brodie said outside the Vancouver Provincial Court. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Kates' legal counsel could not be reached for comment on Brodie's action. 'I do believe it'll be successful because the government, I believe, the justice system will work this time, just nobody's done it. This needs to come forward and I believe with all my heart it will be successful,' Brodie said. One legal expert, however, disagrees. Story continues below advertisement Former Crown prosecutor Rob Dhanu, K.C., who is not involved with the case, said the right to lay a private prosecution is a critical safeguard in the legal system, and that anyone can file one if they believe there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred. 1:58 Police raid Vancouver home of international coordinator of declared terrorist group But he said the process comes with several key hurdles that Brodie's attempt is unlikely to clear. 'Ultimately at the end of the day, this is political theatre, and it has even less chance of succeeding than a snowball's chance in hell,' he said. Brodie's first challenge will come when she appears before a judge for an initial hearing detailing her case, Dhanu said, which would include the fact that there has already been a police investigation and that the question of charges is currently sitting before prosecutors. Story continues below advertisement 'Most likely when the judge hears that the Crown is investigating at this stage and has not made a decision, she would fail at that first step,' he said. Even if the case cleared that hurdle, he said it would unlikely clear a subsequent and more thorough hearing, or the third step at which point the Crown can take over the case and drop it if it wishes. 2:20 Iran gives human rights award to B.C. activist But while he said the case may be 'political theatre,' Brodie may fail in the actual prosecution while succeeding in her larger goal. 'The one benefit here in terms of Ms. Brodie's perspective is that it will at least shine a spotlight on the government's inaction and then maybe that will spur them to take the next step,' he said. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma was not made available for an interview on Wednesday. Story continues below advertisement In a statement, she said that the terrorism charges Brodie was proposing appear to fall under federal jurisdiction. On the matter of VPD's recommended hate crime charges, her ministry deferred questions to the BC Prosecution Service 'to ensure prosecutorial and judicial independence from the Ministry.' The BC Prosecution Service would only say the 'matter remains under charge assessment' and would not provide a timeline for completion. It acknowledged it had received a copy of Brodie's private action and was 'reviewing the document.' Brodie, meanwhile, said she was expecting a call in 60 days to set a date for a hearing with a judge.
Winnipeg Free Press
19 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bolivia will choose a new president but environmental activists see little hope of progress
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Bolivia's upcoming presidential election will mark a shift from nearly two decades of socialist rule, but many Indigenous and environmental leaders doubt it will bring progress in stopping deforestation, fires or pollution in the Amazon. The Oct. 19 runoff pits centrist Sen. Rodrigo Paz against right-wing former president Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga — two contenders promising change but rooted in an economic model critics say has long fueled environmental damage in one of South America's most biodiverse nations. The Amazon spans nine countries and plays a crucial role in absorbing carbon and regulating climate patterns worldwide. Approximately 8% of the Amazon is in Bolivia. Scientists warn that deforestation is pushing parts of the forest toward a tipping point where it could shift into savanna. The election feels like a choice between two threats, according to Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, coordinator of the Indigenous alliance CONTIOCAP and a member of the Uchupiamona community. She said governments of all stripes have ignored Indigenous well-being. 'Agreements are signed, commitments are made, laws and decrees are passed, but in the territory there is absolutely nothing applied,' she said. Quiroga's campaign told The Associated Press he would tighten controls on forest fires, promote sustainable agriculture, expand biofuel production, and encourage reforestation to curb high deforestation rates. He also calls for using carbon and green bonds — tools to raise money to fund conservation efforts. Paz's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Environment has paid a price for economic policies Evo Morales — Bolivia's first Indigenous president — often invoked Pachamama, the Indigenous concept of Mother Earth as a living being that sustains life, and rose to power by championing Indigenous rights and environmental protection. But his socialist governments also expanded exports of soy, beef, gas and minerals to fund social programs. And his administration allied with agribusiness and ranching elites, loosened land-clearing restrictions and promoted infrastructure projects that opened new frontiers in the Amazon. Bolivia is one of the Amazon basin's fastest-deforesting countries. Forest loss spiked in 2019, when Morales eased burning rules and legalized agricultural clearing, fueling massive wildfires that wiped out nearly a million hectares (about 3,860 square miles). The destruction has continued as cattle ranching, soy farming, logging and mining push deeper into Indigenous lands. In 2024, fires scorched more than 10 million hectares — about 38,600 square miles, or roughly the size of Iceland — and Bolivia recorded the world's second-highest tropical primary forest loss after Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch. Vincent Vos, a Dutch-Bolivian researcher based in the Amazonian department of Beni, said communities are confronting overlapping crises. 'Santa Cruz has already lost 68% of their water reserves… we've got 30% less rainfall than a decade ago,' he said. 'Our fish is really completely contaminated by mercury already and people are really suffering from high levels of mercury poisoning.' Campaign hasn't centered on environmental issues While environmental issues have not been a central focus of the campaign, both candidates have outlined some proposals. Paz has proposed a $15 billion 'green government' funded by carbon credits, which can be generated from projects like forest-planting that aim to reduce emissions; tighter controls on agricultural burns and a crackdown on illegal gold mining. Quiroga vows to make Bolivia a leader in decarbonization, protect parks, restore fire-hit ecosystems, and expand agriculture 'appropriately' — a stance critics warn could still spur deforestation. Nick Fromherz, a Bolivian-based adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland who specializes in Latin American environmental law, said both candidates have spoken broadly about fighting wildfires and managing the agricultural frontier. But they've offered few solutions to less visible crises like mercury contamination from gold mining, he said. Mercury, widely used in gold mining, flows into rivers and contaminates fish, a dietary staple for Amazonian communities. Studies have found alarmingly high mercury levels in people living along Bolivian rivers, echoing concerns across the Amazon basin. For Stasiek Czaplicki, a Bolivian environmental economist who has studied forest policies, the danger lies not only in policy direction but in the state's ability to enforce protections. He said Quiroga 'would be worst for the institutions that defend the environment.' He cited proposals to end collective Indigenous land titles — opening them to private sales — and to expand soy and cattle production in the east. Critics warn those moves would accelerate deforestation and weaken agencies tasked with curbing it. Local costs, global consequences Fromherz said environmental concerns are still viewed as secondary in Bolivia's politics, even as they shape the lives of millions. For Vos, the gap between rhetoric and reality is measured in disappearing rivers, vanishing fish and poisoned communities. 'People are really suffering,' Vos said. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Alipaz says years of unmet commitments have left the Amazon´s communities doubtful that the election will bring significant change. 'What happens to us is that we are stripped of our territory, poisoned with smoke and mercury, and also deprived of the means of life such as water, soil, and food,' Alipaz said. 'The life of Indigenous peoples in Bolivia has gone from bad to worse. We will continue defending. It's not just our lives, it is our very existence that is at stake.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
