Gideon van Meijeren (l) in the photo with a corona demonstrator with a Star of David
Cinema chain Pathé cancels a private screening of a documentary about Forum for Democracy MP Gideon van Meijeren in the Amsterdam Tuschinski cinema. Pathé considers it inappropriate to let the premiere take place in the cinema that was founded by Abraham Tuschinski, a Jew who was murdered during the Holocaust. The film was to be shown next Monday.
Van Meijeren has made statements “that are experienced as very hurtful by Holocaust victims and relatives”. according to Pathé†
The cinema chain does not explicitly say which expressions it concerns, but Van Meijeren said on Wednesday in a debate about manners in the House of Representatives that, as far as he is concerned, it should be possible to debate the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust: “Even if would there be a Member of Parliament who downplays the Holocaust – I won’t be – but even if there were a Member of Parliament here who takes a position and says ‘In my opinion only 300,000 Jews were murdered’, I name just one thing, then I think there’s room for a debate about that.”
An estimated six million Jews were murdered during World War II. 300,000 is a number that Holocaust deniers or downplayers often use as the number of Jewish fatalities during World War II. In addition, Van Meijeren, like fellow party members, also regularly made comparisons between the corona policy and the Holocaust.
‘Not asked enough’
The documentary about Van Meijeren was made on behalf of YouTube channel Café Weltschmerz, which offers ample opportunity to conspiracy theorists. The screening did not concern Pathé’s official programming, the cinema chain only rented out a room to the initiators.
Pathé says that he has not asked sufficiently what the documentary was about: “In light of the memory of Abraham Tuschinski, who was himself murdered during the Holocaust, we do not think it is appropriate to show the premiere of this documentary. We have informed the organizer of this event, therefore, to look for another location.”
