The GroenLinks council official from Hilversum who stepped down following accusations of anti-semitism may be asked to take up his post again as colleagues rally to his support.

Bart Heller wrote an email to a local Jewish family who had asked the council for a token of solidarity with the Bibas family who died while being held hostage in Gaza. In it, he pointed to the fact that 15,000 Palestinian children who have been killed in the Israeli bombings should also be recognised.

The letter was brought to the attention of the mayor of Hilversum by Dutch chief rabbi Binyomin Jacobs whose spokesman then labelled the mail “anti-semitic”.

Heller subsequently resigned, saying he was “gutted my mail has been labelled like this”. “It also weighed heavily on him that his fellow councillors had not supported him”, local GroenLinks chairwoman Marleen Remmers told the local paper NH.

But this week VVD alderman Floris Voorink said “Bart Heller is not an anti-semite and his email is not anti-semitic”, voicing the opinion of the entire local council.

The VVD also called on the mayor and the council to talk to Heller, clearing the way for his possible return.