MPs call for Ye to be banned from performing in Netherlands

A majority of MPs want to ban rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, from peforming two concerts in the Netherlands this summer because of his history of anti-Semitic comments.

Ye is due to play at the Gelredome in Arnhem on June 6 and 8 as part of a European tour, part of which was cancelled when the UK government withdrew his travel visa last month. Planned tour dates in France, Poland and Switzerland have also been abandoned.

Justice minister David van Weel has warned that the “threshold is high” for refusing entry to the country on security grounds when parliament debated the issue. “There needs to be a clear threat that public order or safety would be disturbed,” he said.

But MPs from all parties, including the coalition partners D66, CDA and VVD, backed a motion on Tuesday calling for the cabinet to take steps to prevent the concerts going ahead. Groep Markuszower – a splinter group from the far-right PVV – Forum voor Democratie, the Socialists and Denk voted against.

If Ye cannot be barred from entering the country, ministers should put pressure on the organisers to cancel the events, MPs said.

Ye released a song called Heil Hitler last year and T-shirts featuring swastikas were advertised for sale on his website, before being withdrawn after sparking an outcry.

In January he took out a full-page advert in advert in the Wall Street Journal apologising for his previous anti-Semitic behaviour, which he blamed on bipolar disorder.

MPs also passed motions calling for AI-generated images of the Holocaust to be banned and for the government to investigate whether organisations who deliberately refuse to book Jewish artists could have their funding cut.