Dutch Government Resignations over Israel Sanctions Prove EU Complicity in Genocide

The Israel Lobby still maintains a chokehold over many Western governments, yet the mere affiliation between a politician and Zionist groups is becoming synonymous with corruption and the betrayal of the national interest.

The recent resignation of Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp, after the government of the Netherlands refused to impose sanctions on Israel, proves the government’s knowledge of war crimes and adds to mounting evidence that European governments are acting outside of the wishes of their own people.

The Dutch cabinet’s decision to block the imposition of sanctions against Israel late last week has triggered an enormous political backlash. Not only is the nation now left without a Foreign Minister, but all members of the center-right New Social Contract (NSC) have stepped down from their positions in government, also.

Although the now former Foreign Minister had recently imposed entry bans on Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir for encouraging settler violence and revoked three arms export permits for Israeli naval vessel components, the steps taken were criticized for not going far enough by the Dutch opposition. In a bid to impose sanctions and step up the Netherlands’ action against Israeli war crimes, the Foreign Minister decided to push further, but failed.

A similar occurrence took place in the United Kingdom, where British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the cancellation of 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing the risks that they would be used to commit war crimes. This move, however, has been criticised as almost entirely performative.

Both the Netherlands and the UK continue to sell components for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets, one of the various aircraft responsible for carrying out civilian massacres against the people of Gaza. Yet, in the case of Britain, no senior Labour Party officials have resigned in protest.

The Netherlands is on the verge of early elections that will be held this October. Therefore, there are two primary takeaways from Veldkamp’s resignation. The first being that it serves as an admission that senior officials have full knowledge that not only is Israel violating international law, but that the violations are so extreme that they merit resignation over a refusal to address the issue.

The second major takeaway is that, bearing in mind the upcoming elections, a center-right political Party has read the room and understands the implications at the ballot box for not taking sufficient action. For this, the NSC has been criticised for walking away from the cabinet debate on Israel sanctions, as the Dutch opposition accuses them of abandoning their commitments on the issue and opting to withdraw to save face, rather than fight for the position they advocate.

At the beginning of Israel’s genocide against Gaza, on October 7, 2023, some 29% of the Dutch public had supported their government’s pro-Israel stance; a year later, that number had dropped to 21%. In April, according to the latest Ipsos I&O survey data, that number has dropped to only 15%. 

Even more telling is that, according to Ipsos I&O polling data from May, at least 47% of center-right voters stated they are against providing arms supplies, while only 23% are in favor. On the Left, 70% of Dutch voters also oppose arms sales to Israel.

Former Dutch FM Veldkamp had also previously been part of an attempt to see the European Union suspend its strategic trade agreement with Israel, a move that has been repeatedly blocked by the Zionist German government.

The Netherlands recently signed onto a joint letter, signed by its fellow Western allies, condemning Israel’s decision to construct the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, as a violation of international law.

Popular opinion across the European continent is in favor of the Palestinians and opposed to Israel’s ongoing war, with the vast majority of polls showing multi-partisan support for an immediate ceasefire. This has created a shift in government rhetoric, as EU nations and the British government issue condemnatory statements against Israel, yet the actions to follow up on their threats are mostly symbolic.

While this may seem unserious for now, political parties are beginning to take popular opinion into consideration and understand the consequences at the ballot box if they do not stand up to Israel. What this means is that the default position of European politicians can no longer be so pro-Israeli, and in many cases, their constituents demand an overtly anti-Israel position.

The Israel Lobby still maintains a chokehold over many Western governments, yet the mere affiliation between a politician and Zionist groups is becoming synonymous with corruption and the betrayal of the national interest. Therefore, what we are seeing here are the early signs of public pressure transforming entire political landscapes, and this is happening on the Left and Right.

This is damage that the Israel Lobby’s decades of propaganda and massive funding cannot undo; in fact, this work is unravelling, and the people en masse are seeing through the propaganda.