The leak of a confidential memo from the Dutch embassy in Israel, in which Israel is accused of using ‘disproportionate force’ against civilians in Gaza to showcase military strength, has sparked outrage among left-wing Dutch lawmakers, with a plethora of MPs calling for a parliamentary debate on the issue.
The leaked memo, which was written by the embassy’s defence attaché and reported on by NRC on Monday, describes how the Israeli army is “intent on deliberately causing massive destruction to infrastructure and civilian centres” in Gaza while also lacking a realistically feasible strategy to reach its purported goal of eradicating terrorist group Hamas, which the attaché calls “virtually impossible”.
The memo states that Israel’s brutal conduct attempts to “showcase credible military force to show Iran and its proxies [such as Hezbollah] that they will stop at nothing” – a strategy which increases the probability of a wider regional conflict, the attaché fears.
The leak sparked considerable outrage among centre-left and left lawmakers, many of whom have long been calling on the country’s caretaker cabinet to advocate for a ceasefire for humanitarian aid to reach civilians in the Gaza Strip.
“The terrible images call for a ceasefire, massive aid and the release of hostages. And this calls for a cabinet response to all violations, including those on the Israeli side,” D66 (Renew) lawmaker Sjoerd Sjoerdsma posted on X (formally Twitter), adding that his party and the Socialist Party (SP/EU Left) have requested a parliamentary debate on the issue.
Sjoerdsma’s request was supported by the Labour and Greens, currently the largest polling left-wing list in the run-up to next week’s national elections, and the parliamentary groups of coalition partner CDA, albeit conditionally in the latter case.
“Israel deliberately adopts a ruthless military approach in Gaza with disproportionate force and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure. The cabinet must stop denying, condemn violations and push for an immediate ceasefire,” said Labour MP Kati Piri.
The leak adds to the increasing rift between centre-left and left lawmakers on the one side and the cabinet on the other, as calls for parliamentary inquiries on the cabinet’s policy regarding Israel became louder and louder over the past few weeks.
Besides the Dutch government’s refusal to support a call for a ceasefire at the UN, lawmakers were also irked by reports about ongoing deliveries of spare parts for F-35 to Israel. However, neither could reach sufficient parliamentary support for a debate.
Cabinet in hot water
While the Foreign Affairs Ministry did not comment on the memo’s content to NRC, it underlined that it was merely “one of many sources” the cabinet is taking into account, stating that “the Netherlands is very concerned about the seriousness and scale of the conflict,” while “further civilian casualties on both sides must be avoided as much as possible”.
During his visit to the country last week, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD/Renew) reminded his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to act proportionally, amid mounting international pressure on Israel to put a halt to its indiscriminate bombing campaigns against Gaza.
Nonetheless, Rutte has so far refused to call for a ceasefire, emphasising Dutch support for Israel’s right to defend itself – despite the leak showcasing that the Dutch government is fully aware of Israel’s disregard for Palestinian civilians and the humanitarian law of war.
(Benedikt Stöckl | Euractiv.com)
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