The caretaker cabinet of the VVD and BBB is willing to investigate the European boycott of illegal settlements.

The caretaker cabinet of the VVD and BBB remains willing to explore with other countries the possibility of a joint economic boycott of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Acting Foreign Minister Ruben Brekelmans (VVD), Caspar Veldkamp's interim successor, said this Friday evening during a final parliamentary debate on Israel and Gaza.

Veldkamp resigned Friday evening precisely because he felt obstructed by coalition partners VVD and BBB from taking tougher measures against Israel. One of the sanctions Veldkamp mentioned on Thursday, and which was on the cabinet's agenda on Friday, was a Dutch economic boycott of illegal Israeli settlements.

Support base

Both D66 and Volt have submitted motions urging the cabinet to implement a similar ban on importing products from these areas as soon as possible. D66 also requested that support for a European ban be further investigated; the VVD and CDA previously submitted motions for such a lobby, which also received a majority in Parliament in early July.

Caretaker Brekelmans refused to embrace the call from D66 and Volt for a direct Dutch boycott. Opposition parties countered that the Netherlands is obligated to take measures due to the international Genocide Convention and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Brekelmans said that each country makes its own choices regarding Israel and Gaza, and that the Netherlands, for example, has already conducted airdrops of aid. He also reiterated that the caretaker government wants to explore the possibilities for an effective boycott with a group of European countries. Brekelmans also said that the outgoing Minister Veldkamp "walked out" during the ongoing cabinet meeting and therefore did not know how far the government was willing to go with sanctions against Israel.

No you-box

When Brekelmans was confronted about this by Nicolien van Vroonhoven of NSC, he said that it was not meant as a "taunt towards Minister Veldkamp".

The cabinet also wanted to discourage motions for a complete military boycott of Israel, Brekelmans said. Arms deliveries cannot simply be stopped, as orders for ammunition, spare parts, and "upgrades" would often follow. The Netherlands is also partly dependent on military products from Israel for its own security, he said.

Brekelmans also faced fierce criticism because the caretaker government advised against a motion for medical evacuations of seriously injured or ill Gazan children and their immediate families. The government believes that medical care in the region for these children is possible and more effective, Brekelmans said.

At the end of the debate, Denk leader Stephan van Baarle accused Brekelmans of having "political blood on his hands" and that he should answer to a judge. Brekelmans urged Van Baarle to maintain a calm demeanor during the debate, as such statements can have personal consequences.

All parliamentary motions calling on the caretaker government to boycott Israel—economic, military, political, academic, or sporting—ultimately failed to secure a majority. Motions that did pass called for the total destruction of Hamas, additional sanctions against Hamas leaders, and pressure on countries that support Hamas. Furthermore, the House wants unhindered access to Gaza for journalists, observers, and aid organizations.