The Netherlands decided on Thursday not to recognize a Palestinian state for the time being, while at the same time blasting Israel for not conducting a “just war.”
The Dutch House of Representatives held an emergency debate, with lawmakers recalled from their summer recess to deliberate the situation in Gaza.
With France and Britain announcing they will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless the war in Gaza comes to an end, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told the parliamentarians that the Netherlands will not do the same “at this time,” Reuters reported.
He added that his country will not suspend arms imports from Israel, explaining that the Netherlands procures arms domestically and from European Union members before purchasing weapons from other nations.
However, he condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying, “This war has ceased to be a just war and is now leading to the erosion of Israel’s own security and identity,” Reuters reported.
Veldkamp informed Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Modi Ephraim that his country will push the European Union to suspend the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Ynet reported.
The agreement, in effect since June 2000, incorporates provisions on free trade, services, capital movements and cooperation in areas such as culture and research.
Last month, the Dutch government joined Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom in barring the entry of two Israeli ministers.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof declared on July 29 Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s ministers for national security and finance, respectively, as personae non gratae in the kingdom, citing “settler violence.”
Schoof, whose Cabinet has caretaker status ahead of general elections on Oct. 29, threatened further action against Israel, adding on X that “the people of Gaza must be given immediate, unfettered, safe access to humanitarian aid.”
The Dutch government also said it would summon the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands to express its displeasure with “the current situation,” which it called intolerable and indefensible. “Moreover, it has been agreed to continue to increase pressure on Hamas to achieve a ceasefire,” said Veldkamp.
Smotrich wrote on X that he prioritizes ensuring that his “children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and those of all the Jews in the world, can live in the State of Israel in security for decades and centuries to come,” over being able to enter the Netherlands.
The nosedive in Israeli-Dutch relations was preceded with the Netherlands in April announcing stricter licensing procedures for weapons exports to Israel, which the Dutch foreign minister accused of war crimes in Gaza.
Veldkamp and Trade Minister Reinette Klever announced the new procedure in a letter to parliament a day after Veldkamp, asked by a journalist whether Israel had violated laws against war crimes, replied, “It appears so.”
The letter said two types of permits “have been amended to exclude Israel as a country of final destination. The government is taking this step to be able to test all transactions of strategic goods to Israel before export and transit against the European frameworks for export and transit of military goods and dual-use goods. This is desirable given the security situation in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and the wider region.”
The decision means that Dutch exporters that were able to ship items to Israel under a general permit may need to ask the government for individual export permits for some items. The Netherlands provides Israel with some items for the maintenance and upgrades of the U.S.-made F-35 fighter jet.
