Singer Douwe Bob has temporarily left the Netherlands with his family after receiving death threats in the wake of a row over his performance at a Jewish children’s football tournament.
Douwe Bob pulled out of performing at the event, saying Zionist propaganda was being spread there, against the agreement made between his team and the organisers.
The singer’s decision led VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz to criticise him on social media, saying “Children are being denied a show because of what they are: Jewish. (…) This is how normalised hatred for Jews has become. Pure hate, in plain sight”.
That post and others like it, he said, had led to him receiving death threats.
On Tuesday the singer left the country, saying on Instagram that the decision had been taken on police advice. “To guarantee the safety of my family, we have decided to leave for a while,” he said.
Yesilgöz has since refused to apologise but has asked Douwe Bob to meet her for coffee. His management team told RTL they think this is “just for show”, and that the VVD leader wants to drag the issue out.
In the meantime, the singer said he is still in touch with the organisers of the football event about doing something special for the children, away from the cameras.
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