‘Beautiful unifying message from the king, hopefully politics will follow’

Willem-Alexander’s call for connection is well received by organizations that represent Jewish Dutch people and Dutch Muslims. In his Christmas speech, the king addressed both groups. The head of state acknowledged that there are differences of opinion, but advocated “looking for the human thing that brings us together”.

The king has sensed the tensions well, representatives say. “Many Muslims feel that they do not belong,” says Said Bouharrou, board member of the Contact Body for Muslims and Government. “They are concerned about their future in the Netherlands given the current political climate.”

There are concerns in the Jewish community about the increase in anti-Semitism. “It is special that the king mentioned the tensions in our society due to a war in the Middle East, that he sees and understands the pain and reflections of many Jews,” says the Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI).

In the words of the king, “many people feel misunderstood, unwanted, unprotected.” That is why he believes it is important that “we do not import bitterness and hatred into our streets.”

Willem-Alexander emphasized in his Christmas speech that Jews and Muslims should feel at home in the Netherlands. “This is your country too,” he said:

“It’s nice and nice that he says that. I can’t imagine that anyone is against this,” responds Hans Weijel, vice-chairman of the Central Jewish Consultation.

Bouharrou of the Contact Body for Muslims and Government agrees with this. He does express the hope that it will not remain just the king’s words. Bouharrou: “It is important that his message of connection is actively propagated. Especially through politicians.”

Kashif Akmal, from the small Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Netherlands, agrees. “We hope that we will see each other as fellow citizens in this country and make less polarizing statements,” he explains. He summarizes Willem-Alexander’s words as “a nice message, but I hope we will also see this in politics”.