“There is and has not been racism within the cabinet“. The Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoofcategorically denied the existence of racism within his coalition government, thus resolving the political crisis in the country due to the management of the Executive following the violence unleashed in the streets of Amsterdam and the alleged racist remarks made by members of the executive.
Schoof appeared before the press on Friday evening, after having held a meeting this evening with the leaders of the four parties that make up the government coalition and members of the cabinet of its first crisis since its creation last Julyeight months after the elections were held.
The head of the Executive, the the most right-wing of those who have governed the Netherlands in recent decades, therefore denied the reason given by the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Finance of the centrist New Social Contract party, Nora Achahbar, after her resignation this Friday.
Achahbar argued alleged racist comments made Monday by members of the Dutch executive during a “heated” meeting of the violence management which occurred last week between Israeli fans and Ajax fans in the capital, leading to it being labeled anti-Semitism.
This way, Fragile right-wing coalition will retain enough seats to stay in powerafter the cabinet was rocked by fears that other NSC ministers could follow in the footsteps of Moroccan-born Achahbar.
“It is with pain in my heart that I must announce today that I will not continue this task.“Achahbar wrote in a statement in which he said he had joined the coalition to “restore justice, humanity and trust in government.”
“We emerge stronger from each crisis”
Since last July, the government of the Netherlands has been made up of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Populist Farmers and Citizens Movement ( BBB) and the CNS.
“We emerge stronger from each crisis”declared the Prime Minister, that remained silent on the content of the ministerial meeting last Monday which led to the resignation this Friday of the Secretary of State.
The government coalition has been seriously shaken in recent days by the Internal tensions over how to respond to violence in Amsterdamwhen on Wednesday and Thursday last week there were clashes between pro-Palestinian supporters and Israeli supporters who had arrived in the city to attend an international football match.
Although PVV, VVD and BBB have approved a project to dismantle “perpetrators of anti-Israeli violence” of his Dutch citizenship, the more moderate NSC has not commented on this measure.
The four ruling parties and Prime Minister Dick Schoof they blamed immigrantsspecifically to the Arabs and Muslimsto attack supporters of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv after a Europa League match against the Dutch team Ajax on November 7.
During the day of chaos, Maccabi fans tore down Palestinian flags in downtown Amsterdam, vandalized a taxi and chanted anti-Arab slogans, such as “Death to the Arabs” either “There are no more schools in Gaza because there are no more children,” according to numerous videos circulating on social networks.
The wave of anti-Semitic violence in the streets triggered a political crisis in the country that shook the government after the Achahbar’s resignation and the threat of other ministers from his NSC party resign.
Acahbar estimated that several members of the Government They had crossed the line with hurtful and possibly racist comments. on attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam and the riots that followed the match, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported.
The far-right leader of the PVV Geert Wilderswho won elections last November but is not part of the government, harshly criticized the cabinet on social media and demanded tougher measures against alleged anti-Semitism, attacking the prime minister and leader of Justice for what he considers to be a lukewarm attitude. answer.
