The Stichting Folkingestraat Synagogue in the city of Groningen in the northern Netherlands cancelled the silent march through the city to commemorate Kristallnacht due to the situation in the Middle East.
The silent march commemorating the night when Nazis in Germany attacked Jewish homes and shops, marking the start of the Jewish persecution, was cancelled due to rising tensions in Europe following the outbreak of war between Israel and the Hamas terror group, reports the DutchNews.
The cancellation is a precautionary measure, and the organisers have not received threats. However, the director of the Stichting Folkingestraat Synagogue, Geert Volders, said that despite not having any indications of violence against the march, they do not want to take any risks. “We don’t want the march to be viewed as a demonstration because it is not,” he said, adding that only the outdoor part is cancelled, the events inside the synagogue will be held as planned.
The synagogue director also said the organisers did not think it was responsible in this time of “extreme polarisation and emotions” to ask volunteers to ensure things went smoothly.
The event is not the first in the Netherlands to be scrapped because of the Israel-Hamas war. A talk that should have taken place at Nazi transit camp Westerbork on Sunday has been cancelled because of threats made against one of the speakers.
The Netherlands’ only orthodox Jewish school has also closed its doors due to security risks.
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