Toespraak Eddo Verdoner bij evenement Canadese ambassade over de beladen geschiedenis van hun residentie

Nieuwsbericht | 09-01-2025 | 14:27

Dear ambassador Adsett,

Dear Ms De Leeuw,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to stand here before you today.

Today’s gathering provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the horrors of the past, of an era that can only be described as one of the darkest in human history. We do so here, at this historic location, and in the presence of Ms De Leeuw, a member of the Wolf family that used to call this house their home.

In 2025, we mark a significant milestone as we commemorate 80 years since the unimaginable suffering inflicted on the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust was brought to an end. Eight decades, an average human life, have passed since the yoke of the Nazis was lifted off of Europe’s shoulders. Later this month, on the 27th of January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, dignitaries from around the world will come together to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, one of the most notorious of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps.

Over the past 80 years, many survivors and descendants of those who were murdered by the Nazis, have tirelessly carried forward their legacies. Many of us have had the oftentimes unsettling privilege to hearing their first-hand accounts. The experiences and stories are vital to understanding what happened during the second World War. As time passes, there are those for whom the Holocaust may seem like a historical event that took place in an increasingly distant past. And antisemitism? That is part of that same past, not a problem of the current times. However, after the second World War ended, antisemitism did not magically disappear. At best, to be antisemitic became a taboo. In the 2020s, we are witnessing the erosion of that taboo. Antisemitism is not only very much alive, there is a real danger of it becoming normalised.

While antisemitism has been steadily rising for more than a decade, and antisemitism has existed for centuries, since the 7th of October, 2023, we have witnessed an unfathomable surge in antisemitism, bringing the level of hostility towards Jews to frightening hights - unprecedented in recent times. Over the past year and a half, many Jews have shared with me a painful realisation – they told me that only now they fully understand the warnings their parents and grandparents who survived the Holocaust, had always given them: “Do not let your guard down; do not tell them you are a Jew.” Only now, they say, they can truly relate to what they had been told for years.

Simultaneously, interest in the second World War and the Holocaust is as great as ever. On January 1st, the Central Archives for Special Jurisdiction, or Centraal Archief Bijzondere Rechtspleging in Dutch, were opened. This archive holds the records of all those who were investigated due to suspicion of collaboration with the German occupiers. The strong public interest in these records and the conclusions people wish to draw from them highlights the importance of the Holocaust as the moral benchmark against which we continue to measure our morality.

When we speak about the Holocaust and its perpetrators, what is often emphasised is its inhumanity. But reality has that six million Jews were murdered by people – often by their fellow countrymen – not by faceless forces or animals. It was human beings who carried out the largest genocide in world history. The shape-shifting nature of antisemitism makes that it continues to evolve. Antisemitism can be subtle, lurking in the shadows, between the lines, and be indirect, or it can be violent, using classic antisemitic tropes and be right in your face. From hateful speech online, to physical attacks against Jews, from Holocaust denial and distortion, to the perpetuation of centuries-old stereotypes.

And make no mistake – antisemitism is not just a Jewish problem; it is a threat to all of us. Moreover, Jews are not a prerequisite for antisemitism. Also, in towns and cities, and even countries where there are near to none Jews, antisemitism can still take root and even thrive. A poison ultimately undermining the very fabric of society.

In the Netherlands, the government has stepped up its efforts to combat antisemitism. In 2021, the office of National Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism was established. We aim to address and counter the threat that antisemitism poses not only to the Jewish community, but to society at large. Our work focuses on prevention through education, raising awareness, and ensuring sustainable policies that safeguard the Jewish community while fostering Jewish life in all its diversity.

Now, more than ever, we must enable Jewish life to thrive, and share it with those who may not be familiar with Jewish history, culture, and customs. Jewish life must be shown in all its richness and diversity. Not to earn a place in European society, but to show that Jews are an integral part of the European story. Because ultimately, the best antidote against antisemitism is a vibrant, visible and present Jewish community.

Prevention alone, however, is not enough. Unfortunately, in 2025 it is not self-evident for Jews to visibly express their identity in safety. Those who make it impossible for Jews should never be allowed to get away with it. It is of paramount importance that antisemitism does not go unpunished. Together with our partners, at home and abroad, we seek to improve the prosecution of antisemitism by stimulating the exchange of knowledge, setting clear boundaries, and facilitate cooperation, for example through the European Conference of Public Prosecution Services where we continue to bring them together.

But in the year 2025, antisemitism is no longer confined to the streets. A new front has appeared. In the digital age, the world wide web, and social media platforms in particular, have provided those with antisemitic prejudice a new platform to spread their hatred virtually unchecked. We must address the challenges this creates, and the troubling sense of impunity that exists in online spaces.  

Social media platforms continue to make money selling advertisement around extreme content. While we have made progress in addressing this, on October 1st, 2024, a new law that criminalises Holocaust denial and distortion came into effect, more work is to be done. Social media platforms should take responsibility and remove illegal content, or else be held accountable.

It is especially fitting that this event here on these historical ground takes place at this very moment. We mark, not only the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Europe, but – here in the Netherlands – also the beginning of Holocaust Education Month, an initiative first launched last year. Together with a broad coalition of partners from within government, educational organisations, remembrance institutions, and Jewish community representatives – some of whom are with us today – we are launching the ‘Learn about the Holocaust’ campaign. This effort seeks to highlight the importance of Holocaust education in the widest sense of the word, both in and outside the classroom, as well as to raise public awareness.

All of us, gathered here, today, understand the gravity of the problem with the antisemitism we are facing today. We take the time, to commemorate, reflect and pay our respects to the victims of the Holocaust. As time marches on and decades pass, we must ensure that future generations will carry the torch of remembrance.

Imagine, 80 years from now. 160 years have passed since the end of the second World War. How will honour the memory of the Holocaust? Will our children and grandchildren know what unfolded across Europe in the 1930s? Will they understand how the Jews were gradually dehumanised? Will they be able to acknowledge the evil that people inflicted on other people?

I hope that, 80 years from now, our children and grandchildren will still remember the stories and lived experiences of the Holocaust. However, hope alone is not enough. In order for future generations to continue to draw important lessons from the Holocaust, we must ensure that these stories are shared and preserved.

The fight against antisemitism is a long and difficult one, but it is a fight we must continue. We must not be under the illusion that a decade-long trend can be reversed overnight, but we must keep working towards a society, both here in the Netherlands, as well as elsewhere, where antisemitism has no place – a society in which the voices of those affected most by antisemitism, rather than being dismissed, trivialised or ridiculed, are heard, believed and respected,

In closing, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Canadian embassy for organising this event at such a critical time. The fight against antisemitism transcends national borders, and Canada has proven to be a committed partner in the fight against antisemitism and in keeping the memory of the Holocaust and its victims alive in order to ensure that future generations can continue learn from it.                                   

Let us work to ensuring that in the Netherlands, and throughout Europe, Jews will be safe to live, celebrate, marry, and thrive as full members of society. Let us, today and throughout January, remember the Holocaust, reflect on ongoing challenges in the fight against antisemitism, and ensure that, in 80 years, our children and grandchildren will pass on the stories that we share today.

Thank you.