Douwe Bob says he has left the Netherlands on the advice of the police. “To ensure the safety of my family and myself, we have decided to leave for the time being,” the 32-year-old singer writes on Instagram.
The singer revealed on Sunday evening that he had received death threats after refusing to perform at a Jewish children’s soccer event in Amsterdam.
The singer says he did so because upon arrival he was confronted with “Zionist posters and pamphlets”. “That’s why I decided to leave the event.”
Douwe Bob says the situation has worsened in recent days. “The media and politicians are painting the picture that I didn’t want to play for children because of their Jewish background. If I heard that about myself, I would honestly be furious too. But this is a total lie.”
VVD leader Yesilgöz accused Douwe Bob of Jew-hatred
The singer has been particularly critical of VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz in recent days. She had accused the singer of “Jew-hatred” on X. His management had previously contacted the party leader by email, requesting that she nuance her statements on social media.
Earlier on Tuesday, Yesilgöz said she stood by that statement. She also suggested having coffee with Douwe Bob, but the singer saw no added value in that.