Palestinian, Lebanese academics refuse Dutch grants over NL's stance on Gaza

A group of Palestinian and Lebanese academics have returned a Dutch grant because of the Dutch government’s stance on the war in Gaza. They accuse the Dutch government of “unconditionally” supporting Israel despite its “colonization and genocide” in the Gaza Strip. Accepting the subsidy would be tantamount to “whitewashing” the “racist and colonial” course the Netherlands is on, the academics said in a letter, the Volkskrant reports.

The Palestinian and Lebanese academics received 580,000 euros from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education last year. The money initially came from a subsidy fund from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By returning it now, the academics and artists from Beirut in Lebanon and Bir Zeit in the occupied West Bank, among others, want to express their protest about the Dutch government’s policy regarding the Gaza war.

According to the academics, the Dutch government failed to in any way address Israel’s “obligations as an occupying power or the long list of human rights violations. “ They also criticize the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education for not condemning Israel’s continuous assaults on Gaza despite collaborating with Palestinian universities for years.

Eddy Moors, director of the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, told the Volkskrant that he hopes that the return of the subsidy is temporary. “Should the government change its position, we hope they will want to work with us again.” According to him, the institute “never takes a position for one party or another.” And the projects involved - two sustainable water management projects in Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories - were intended to “bring people together.”

The academics don’t accept that neutrality,” independent political ecologist Karim Eid-Sabbagh told the newspaper by email on behalf of the letter’s signatories. “You would think that, given its colonial history and past collaboration with the Third Reich, the Netherlands would have learned the lesson that there can be no question of neutrality during genocide.”

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told the Volkskrant that the Dutch government doesn’t recognize itself in the academics’ accusations. “The Ministry finds it very unfortunate that this program, intended to support the Palestinian population, cannot now be continued.”

On October 7, Hamas committed large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel, killing at least 1,139 people. Israel immediately retaliated with large-scale bombings on the Gaza Strip and, except for a few days-long “humanitarian pause” in exchange for hostages, has continued the attacks since. As of February 13, Israel’s attacks have killed at least 28,340 Palestinians, including 12,150 children, and wounded 68,146, including 8,663 kids. Over 7,000 children are missing, Al Jazeera reported based on figures from the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Over the past weeks, Israeli forces told hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to seek shelter in Rafah. Israel is now preparing for a ground assault on the area. Nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s residents are now jammed into Rafah. Prior to the Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7, the city housed fewer than 264,000 people. That total has since swelled to 1.4 million, according to figures from the Norwegian Refugee Council.

In response to Israel's impending ground assault on the very densely populated Rafah, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce the level of force used against the Palestinian people and avoid large-scale military action in Rafah. Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot told parliament that she does not intend to threaten Israel with sanctions but will stick to “maximum” diplomatic pressure to discourage the attack.

Also this week, the Netherlands announced it would appeal against a court order to stop providing parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel. The Netherlands hasn’t once called for a ceasefire and abstained from United Nations votes to that extent. The Dutch policy is to appeal for “humanitarian pauses” to allow more aid into Gaza and urge Israel to use less force and avoid civilian casualties.