Dutch Parliament Backs Motion to Deny Entry to Kanye West Over Anti-Semitic Comments

A broad majority in the Dutch parliament has backed a motion urging the government to deny entry to American rapper Kanye West ahead of his planned concerts in early June, local broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday. The step comes as more European countries are turning their backs on the controversial artist over his past anti-Semitic comments. The 24-time Grammy Award winner has a history of anti-Semitic controversies. Last year, he publicly praised Nazism and Adolf Hitler and marketed t-shirts featuring a swastika. Although West, also known as Ye, apologized for his actions earlier this year, his behavior has sparked widespread criticism and triggered government investigations into whether he can be barred from performing internationally. West is scheduled to perform on June 6 and June 8 in the Dutch city of Arnhem. In April, Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch said there was no legal basis to ban him from entering or performing in the Netherlands, while Justice Minister David van Weel said the government was exploring possible legal grounds to do so, but that it would be difficult. “In the Netherlands, we have a fairly high threshold before we can deny someone entry. There must be a threat of serious disruption to public order or security,” van Weel said at the time, adding that it was unclear whether that applies in West’s case. The Dutch parliament’s latest motion follows similar actions elsewhere in Europe. Last month, UK authorities refused West entry, leading to the cancellation of his planned Wireless Festival appearance. He also postponed a June 11 show in Marseille shortly after. In Poland, a June 19 concert at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow has been cancelled by venue representatives. FC Basel, which manages events at St. Jakob-Park, has confirmed a similar step. The only remaining stops in West’s announced European tour are now Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Throughout his career, West has repeatedly described his struggles with mental health and revealed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016. In February, however, he claimed that he had been misdiagnosed and had stopped taking medication after finding out that he actually had “a case of autism.”