Netherlands FM leaves his job in protest against Israel
(MENAFN) The Netherlands has been rocked by political upheaval after Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned in protest against the government’s decision not to impose penalties on Israel over its genocide in Gaza.
According to an official statement, both Veldkamp and Minister for Foreign Trade Hanneke Boerma announced their departure on Saturday. Their party, the Social Contract (NSC), confirmed it was withdrawing from the caretaker coalition following a cabinet meeting focused on the Gaza crisis.
In a message published Friday, the NSC explained that it had pressed for “additional measures” against Israel in response to the “increasingly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.” With the other coalition partners rejecting sanctions, the party chose to step down in protest.
Veldkamp, who once served as the Dutch ambassador to Israel, had long supported restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. He pushed for such measures as Israel’s military escalation in Gaza intensified.
Only days earlier, the Netherlands joined 20 other countries in signing a joint declaration condemning Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. Amsterdam also moved last month to declare two far-right Israeli ministers persona non grata.
European divisions over Israel have been widening. In June, Spain’s foreign minister urged the European Union to “immediately suspend” its association agreement with Israel and block arms exports. France, the UK, and other Western nations traditionally aligned with Israel have also signaled growing openness to recognizing Palestinian statehood.
The resignations in The Hague came shortly after the Israeli military announced the launch of a new campaign aimed at seizing complete control of Gaza City.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
