Photo Credit: Javier M.
An Amsterdam judge has allowed two upcoming shows by Kanye West to move forward in the Netherlands despite an emergency lawsuit from the Central Jewish Council.
The Central Jewish Counsil filed an emergency lawsuit in a bid to prevent Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, from performing two upcoming shows in the Netherlands. The Jewish organization cited Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks and the sale of swastika merch. But an Amsterdam judge has rejected their argument, ruling that the evidence does not prove that West poses a threat to public order.
Despite widespread controversy surrounding the rapper, the Amsterdam District Court said it found “no indications that West’s presence in the coming days will lead to concrete public order dangers.” Ye is scheduled to perform at the GelreDome in Arnhem, southeast of Amsterdam, on June 6 and 8.
“The feeling we are getting is that it is okay if you are antisemitic,” said Chanan Herzberger, Central Jewish Council Chair, expressing disappointment with the ruling.
Notably, lawmakers in the country supported a motion to prevent Ye from entering the Netherlands. But its immigration minister, Bart van den Brink, said there was no legal basis for the move, despite his past “reprehensible” behavior.
The two shows will be the 48-year-old West’s first European concerts since 2014. He was barred from entering the UK in April over his antisemitic remarks, which set off a domino effect of cancellations, including shows in Italy and Poland.
According to concert organizers, some 70,000 tickets have been sold for Ye’s two upcoming shows in the Netherlands, but it isn’t the only country to have approved Ye’s arrival. Over 100,000 fans flocked to Istanbul over the weekend to see the rapper’s first performance in Turkey.
In January, Ye apologized for his behavior with a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, blaming his “four-month long manic episode” on a combination of his bipolar disorder and the car accident he was in years ago. But it’s worth noting that Adidas executives knew of West’s antisemitic leanings for years during meetings with the former fashion mogul in which he praised Hitler, drew swastikas, and generally espoused hate towards Jewish people.
