On Saturday, thousands took to the streets of Amsterdam to support Israel. As part of the moving gesture, a flotilla of more than 70 boats decorated with Israeli flags sailed throughout Amsterdam.
Those who initiated the show of support that reached many areas throughout Amsterdam were private entrepreneurs, together with the Israeli embassy in the Netherlands and Guy Kuttner, owner of a large tourism company in Amsterdam. In a conversation with Kutner, he tells Israel Hayom about the extraordinary experience in the streets and waters of Amsterdam.
"Today I had the honor of being one of the organizers of the protest flotilla for the return of the hostages, we shook Amsterdam. We organized more than 70 boats, with my boat carrying Eyal Waldman and his wife, representatives of the families Tali Attias and Adi Zakoto with the lawyer who accompanied them, Meni Gorman, to the court in The Hague yesterday."
Show of support for Israel, photo: Chris van houts
On board, as mentioned, were representatives of the families of the murdered and abducted. Kutner goes on to elaborate: "This is an initiative that began when the embassy approached me and connected me to the other initiators of the event, headed by Yair Saponaro. I was responsible for coordinating the Israeli media and of course I donated a boat from my company. Among the other organizers were Israelis who had lived in Holland for years and simply wanted to bring to Dutch consciousness, in important days before local elections, the goal we all want so much, the return of the hostages.
"With a huge police escort, with police boats and the security of the Jewish community, with hundreds of people on the boats, we left the city center near the Anne Frank House and sailed to the city hall, where Eyal Waldman gave a moving speech in front of everyone, followed on stage by key members of the Jewish community. The show of support also reached the Dutch media, and today a front page article about him was published in one of the newspapers. This is the most 'positive' article we have received so far, describing the horrors the families endured on October 7.
The rally in support of Israel held in Amsterdam, photo: Chris van houts
"The response from the Jewish community was amazing, we also saw Dutch people who joined and even donated boats to the flotilla, even though they have no connection to Israel. People who have not been able to come to Israel until now felt that they could take part in the national struggle to bring them home," concludes Kutner.
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