The Netherlands rejects Amnesty report accusing Israel of apartheid

“The cabinet does not agree with Amnesty’s conclusion that there is apartheid in Israel”, Hoekstra wrote to a group of Dutch legislators, as reported by The Jerusalem Post and others.

The MP’s had asked the government to respond to the report of the human right’s organisation. It says that Israel imposes on Palestinian citizens, both in Israel itself and in the West Jordan Bank and Gaza, a system “of oppression and domination (…) wherever it exercises control over their rights” and even treats them as an “inferior racial group”.

Two-state solution

“Apartheid is a specific legal term and a serious international crime, and it is up to a judge to judge whether this is the case,” Hoekstra stated. “In light of the above, the cabinet also rejects the recommendations made by Amnesty in the report.”

The Dutch foreign minister pointed out that Germany, the US and the UK rejected the report as well, and said that calling Israel an apartheid state does not help resolve the conflict and reach a two-state solution.

“The Israeli branch of Amnesty International –which has generally been critical of its own government and Israeli policy toward the Palestinians– has also distanced itself from the report in question, as it would be counterproductive and would not improve the situation on the ground,” he added.

Balanced

The MPs writing to Hoekstra also asked the Dutch government to respond to Israel’s decision to declare six Palestinian NGOs terrorist groups. Hoekstra wrote that the Netherlands “has not yet reached a conclusion on the information based on the basis of which the Israeli decision was taken concerning the six NGOs.”

In October, the Israelian Defence Minister Benny Gantz decided to ban six Palestinian organisations due to their affiliations with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated terrorist group in Israel, the US, the EU, and elsewhere, The Jerusalem Post writes.

Hoekstra also reacted to a group of pro-Israel MP’s, who had sent a counter letter asking why the Netherlands continues to vote against Israel at the UN despite committing to do otherwise. The minister said the “Dutch commitment in resolutions… is aimed at achieving balanced and factual texts, preventing disproportionate attention to Israel,” while trying to vote as a bloc with the rest of the EU as much as possible.