Benoit Wesly from Maastricht, former chairman of the Jewish community in Limburg, has written an open letter strongly criticising his fellow citizen Frans Timmermans. ‘As long as you persist in your anti-Israeli rhetoric and thereby encourage anti-Semitism, our friendship will come to an end.’
OPEN LETTER TO MY FRIEND FRANS TIMMERMANS
Dear Frans,
Although I am well aware that you are currently preoccupied with the campaign 24/7 and have little time or space left for social contacts and friendships, I was nevertheless unpleasantly surprised that you did not even open my latest messages, let alone reply to them.
You probably knew in advance that the content of those messages (given that I was the sender) would hurt you. Of course, you knew that I would not leave unchallenged your television appearance in which you said you believed that Israel knowingly kills innocent civilians in Gaza. Of course, you realised after making that statement that you had hurt the Jewish community in the Netherlands and also in our beloved Maastricht.
I can assure you that the Jewish community in this country is no less concerned about the fate of defenceless children in Gaza than the average activist within your GroenLinks-PvdA party. But when it comes to the question of guilt, we fundamentally disagree.
That horrific war should not have been fought and could have been over long ago if Hamas, as the aggressor, had released the hostages.
I know better than anyone that you are not an anti-Semite. But surely you cannot have failed to notice that anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide and that statements such as those you recently made in the media are grist to the mill of anti-Semites!
Dear Frans, the fact that I sent you messages in vain shows how much I value our friendship. But as long as you persist in your anti-Israeli rhetoric and thereby encourage anti-Semitism, our friendship will end. Not because I think you are anti-Semitic, but because you are apparently willing to do anything to appear so for electoral reasons!
Publicly retract those appalling statements and let’s have a drink and part ways without any hard feelings. We will not agree on Israel and the Palestinians. But that does not have to mean the end of a friendship. I cannot and will not maintain a friendship with someone who accuses Israel (i.e. Jews!) of killing defenceless men, women and children without even mentioning the fate of the hostages held captive by Hamas. Retract those words and don’t be surprised – rightly or wrongly – if you are considered an anti-Semite.
It will be clear to you that I had no other choice but to address you in an open letter. If you no longer even open messages from me, then unfortunately there is no other option but this open letter!
I wish you well! I do not wish you success with the campaign.
You should not want to win the elections with the support of anti-Semites who embrace your statements and are despised by me and many others.
Finally, I am still reeling from the appalling behaviour of your party colleague and former intern Kati Piri, who wants to neutralise the Iron Dome by imposing a Dutch boycott on arms sales to Israel. Without the Iron Dome, thousands of innocent victims would be killed in Israel, including Palestinians living in Israel!
It should be clear that Piri’s concern for the fate of the Palestinians is hypocritical and fake. Her hatred of Jews is what drives her, not her compassion for Palestinians. I wonder if she consulted you, her mentor and fellow party member, about her motion. If you do not publicly distance yourself from her, her anti-Semitic attitude will also reflect negatively on you. You risk ending up on the wrong side of history.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Regards, Benoit Wesly (former chairman of the Jewish community of Limburg)
Source: De Nieuwe Ster Maastricht, 20 June 2025
