Netherlands under pressure: NGOs demand stop from arms exports to Israel

Netherlands under pressure: NGOs demand stop from arms exports to Israel

The Hague, Netherlands - Pro-Palestinian organizations have sued the Dutch government and are calling for an immediate ban on the arms export to Israel. These brave NGOs accuse the government of not doing enough to stop what it calls "genocide" in Gaza. In a dramatic appearance before the civil court in the Hague, Wout Albers, the lawyer of the plaintiffs, said: "Today the plaintiffs are here to take the Dutch state responsible." The allegations are serious: Israel is accused of committing genocide and apartheid and using Dutch weapons for his warfare.

The lawsuit and its claims

The plaintiffs, a coalition of Dutch and Palestinian organizations, require the Netherlands to post all exports and transit of weapons, weapon parts and dual -use goods to Israel. This is done in the context of continuing violence in Gaza, where over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 104,000 injured since October 7, 2023. The organizations argue that the Netherlands, as a close ally of Israel, have a legal obligation to do everything in their power to prevent international legal violations.

Judge Sonja Hoekstra emphasized that the severity of the situation in Gaza is not disputed by the Dutch government. However, she made it clear that it was about finding out what is legally possible and what the government can expect. The plaintiffs hope that the court will support the demands of the Pro-Palestinian groups based on earlier decisions of the International Court of Justice, which classified the occupation of Palestine as illegal.

The situation is also complicated by the recent arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court against high -ranking Israeli civil servants who are charged with suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said that his country respected the independence of the ICC and would implement the arrest warrants. It remains to be seen how far the lawsuit of the Pro Palestinian groups will go because the Supreme Court has already rejected earlier attempts to force the Netherlands to comply with their obligations.