Eight prominent members of the PvdA want the party board to distance itself from the proposal to impose a full arms embargo on Israel. Among them are former party leaders Job Cohen,former Mayor of Amsterdam, Lodewijk Asscher ex chairman of Dutch labour party[PVDA both of them of Jews decent, and Ad Melkert. They have submitted a motion, which will be voted on by PvdA members tomorrow during a party congress.
The motion is also signed by Reshma Roopram, Samuel de Leeuw, Gerdi Verbeet, Rob Oudkerk, and Tjeerd Ritmeester. They want “supplies to systems that protect the population of Israel to remain necessary and possible.”
The motion was triggered by the stance of the GroenLinks-PvdA faction yesterday in a debate with outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Veldkamp. Member of Parliament Piri said that she believes the Netherlands should no longer supply components for the Israeli missile defense system Iron Dome. “Israel is currently the aggressor. If Israel were the victim, we would have a different discussion,” she said. Later, faction leader Timmermans defended this position.
However, according to the eight PvdA leaders, halting supplies could lead to tens of thousands of additional innocent civilian casualties, “including Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, Druze, Christians, and Jewish Israelis.”
Outraged reactions
The new stance of GroenLinks-PvdA was overwhelmingly rejected in the Dutch parliament, leading to surprised and outraged reactions. Right-wing parties called the proposal “bizarre and unwise” (VVD), “completely insane, indefensible, and life-threatening” (BBB), and “too bizarre for words” (SGP). NSC said it was “shocked” and the PVV judged that “their hatred for Israel and growing antisemitism knows no bounds.”
Minister Veldkamp also reacted shocked at the plan. “I note that GL-PvdA has shifted its position on this issue. This is a shift that, at least, we as a cabinet will not adopt.”
SJN
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