Police are investigating a text projected on the Anne Frank House this week. Images of a text projected on Anne Frank’s home were shown on a far-right Telegram channel, suggesting that she did not write her diary herself.
The Anne Frank House reported the projection. Police confirmed to NOS after reporting that an investigation was underway from Het Parool.
In a video shared on Telegram, “Anne Frank, the inventor of the pen” is seen reflected in the Anne Frank House. It is unknown when.
“The brutality of extremists”
The news about the projection created an outrage. Mayor Halsema responded by describing the texts as “pure anti-Semitism” and “an attack on Anne Frank’s legacy.” “I am shocked and angry at this cowardly, reprehensible act,” the mayor said.
“I hope the perpetrators are found soon,” said Halsema. “The memory of Anne Frank should not be overshadowed by the terrible evil of the extremists.”
Minister of Justice Yeşilgöz described the projection as “disgusting and frightening”. Before the cabinet meeting began, he said there was no room for hatred of Jews in the Netherlands. “Anyone who thinks they can get away with this is seriously mistaken.” Yeşilgöz reiterated that he is working on a proposal to ban Holocaust denial.
Prime Minister Rutte describes the projection as “disgraceful”. “There is no place for anti-Semitism in our country, we cannot and should never accept it,” he said on Twitter.
The Israel Information and Documentation Center (CIDI) describes it as “disgusting and anti-Semitic.” “We see the theories from the past becoming widespread again. This creates a hostile image of the Jewish community. They are accused of lying, and that fuels hatred, CIDI director Naomi Mestrum told ANP.
legendary ballpoint pen
The text of the projection relates to the myth of so-called ballpoint pen passages. In the 1980s, scattered papers written in ballpoint pen were found in Anne Frank’s diary. The far-right see evidence that the diary has been tampered with because the ballpoint pen was introduced in the Netherlands only after WWII.
The pencil leaves were most likely accidentally left in the journal by a diary researcher in the 1960s. As the researchers have shown, the leaves do not diminish the authenticity of the diary.
NOS looked at the images from the projection. An anti-Semitic song is playing at the bottom of the video. People standing in front of the museum see the text and react. A man angrily points in the direction of the projection. The makers of the video also took drone footage of Amsterdam.
crime predictions
At the beginning of the year, a far-right group projected the texts on the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam. Prosecutors launched a judicial investigation into these slogans. The public prosecutor considers it a crime.
Prosecutors said in a statement that there are limits to freedom of expression. “One of these limits is that speech should never encourage discrimination or offend another segment of the population.”
Anti-Semitism, or hatred of Jews, has existed for thousands of years. Where does this hatred of Jews come from and how is it expressed in our time? NOS op 3 explains:
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
