DaysofPal – Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned on Friday after failing to secure cabinet backing for stronger sanctions against Israel over its military onslaught in Gaza.
Veldkamp, a member of the center-right New Social Contract party, said he had been unable to achieve agreement on “meaningful measures” and had repeatedly faced resistance from colleagues even over the limited sanctions already imposed.
In recent months, he had announced entry bans on far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir for inciting settler violence against Palestinians and revoked three export permits for navy ship components, citing the “deteriorating conditions” in Gaza and the “risk of undesirable end use.”
“I also see what is happening on the ground in Gaza, the attack on Gaza City, and what is happening in the West Bank, the building decision for the disputed settlement E1, and East Jerusalem,” Veldkamp told reporters as he stepped down.
His resignation leaves the Netherlands without a foreign minister at a sensitive moment for Europe, as the EU debates security guarantees for Ukraine and engages in trade talks with the United States.
Following his departure, all New Social Contract ministers and state secretaries resigned in solidarity, pulling out of the caretaker government. Reports suggested that Veldkamp was under growing pressure from lawmakers, particularly the opposition, who demanded stricter sanctions after Israel’s latest assault on Gaza City and expanding settlement construction in the West Bank.
Veldkamp had also pushed for suspending the EU’s trade agreement with Israel but grew increasingly frustrated with Germany’s opposition. Lawmakers urged him to act unilaterally, insisting the Netherlands should no longer wait for coordinated European measures.
Europe–Israel Relations Under Strain
Despite limited Dutch sanctions, the Netherlands continues to support Israel’s military supply chain. Research by the Palestinian Youth Movement shows that ships carrying F-35 fighter jet components frequently dock at the port of Rotterdam, operated by Danish shipping giant Maersk.
Israel has used F-35s extensively in its air strikes on Gaza, which have left much of the enclave in ruins and killed more than 62,000 people since October 2023.
Earlier this week, the Netherlands joined 20 other nations in condemning Israel’s approval of a major West Bank settlement expansion, calling it “unacceptable and contrary to international law.”
Veldkamp’s successor has not yet been named. Until a new coalition is formed following October’s elections, a process that could take months, the caretaker government, which has been in place since the coalition fell apart on June 3, is anticipated to stay in place.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=66833
