Israeli FM tells the Netherlands that endorsing an anti-Israel narrative will harm bilateral ties

“The adoption of a one-sided anti-Israel narrative would only severely damage our longstanding great ties,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told his Dutch counterpart, Tom Berendsen, during a phone call on Thursday.

Israel’s top diplomat shared on X that he further expressed his concern at efforts made to renew the “full support” of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

This was a reference to a decision made by the Dutch government in March to restore its annual contribution to the U.N. relief agency to its former level of roughly $21.5 million.

The previous government in the Netherlands had slashed the funding in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

“At least 1,462 (12%) UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or other terrorist groups, as are 15% of head and deputy head teachers,” Sa’ar continued.

Additionally, 18 employees of UNRWA took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities in southern Israel, he went on to say.

Sa’ar moreover spoke about Israel’s recent agreement framework signed with Lebanon, and added that Jerusalem had recently agreed to advance two international aid projects in Gaza to improve water supply and waste water management.