The Hague, NETHERLANDS (AFP) – Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned on Friday after a cabinet meeting failed to agree on sanctions against Israel, reports 24brussels.
The centre-right New Social Contract Party, of which Veldkamp is a member, has withdrawn from the governing coalition, precipitating a political crisis in the Netherlands.
Veldkamp had previously indicated his support for new measures against Israel in response to its military strategy during the ongoing Gaza conflict with Hamas.
Last month, the Netherlands designated far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as persona non grata and joined 21 other countries in a joint declaration condemning Israel’s approval of a significant West Bank settlement project as “unacceptable and contrary to international law.”
Following a deadlock in the cabinet over proposals to impose additional pressure on Israel, Veldkamp stated to ANP that he felt “insufficiently able to take meaningful additional measures.”
“I feel constrained in setting the course I consider necessary as foreign minister,” he remarked.
He noted that the further actions he suggested against Israel had been “seriously discussed” but faced ongoing resistance in successive cabinet meetings.
The ongoing protests against Israel’s military actions intensified after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Demonstrations in The Hague attracted between 100,000 and 150,000 participants, marking the largest protests in the Netherlands in two decades.
Protesters called for sanctions against Israel and humanitarian access for civilians in Gaza, where the United Nations recently declared a famine, citing “systematic obstruction” of aid by Israel.
No EU Consensus
EU foreign ministers have repeatedly failed to achieve a unified stance on sanctions against Israel, despite calls from several member states for action.
Among the proposals under consideration are suspending Israel’s involvement in a €900 million EU science and technology program, implementing trade restrictions, and imposing visa bans on specific Israeli officials.
In the Netherlands, Veldkamp expressed to parliament that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich “repeatedly incited settler violence against Palestinians, promoted illegal settlement expansion, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”
In response, Smotrich accused European leaders of capitulating to “the lies of radical Islam” and rising antisemitism, while Ben-Gvir maintained that he would continue to advocate for Israel, regardless of any restrictions imposed by European nations.
The repercussions of Hamas’s October 2023 attack have been severe, resulting in the deaths of 1,219 individuals, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Conversely, Israel’s offensive has claimed the lives of at least 62,192 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians, according to reliable figures from Gaza’s health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.
The Dutch government has already announced new elections for October 29, following the departure of Gert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) from the coalition in June.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed regret over Veldkamp’s resignation and the withdrawal of his party, the fourth largest in parliament, as the fragile government heads into the election campaign.
Schoof recognized that the situation in Gaza is “worsening” and “dramatic,” emphasizing that “everyone is aware of that.”
