Dutch PM Schoof calls for ceasefire in Lebanon, Gaza in 1st UN General Assembly speech
In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Dick Schoof called for a temporary ceasefire between Isreal and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The United States and France proposed a 21-day ceasefire, but Israel almost immediately rejected the proposal.
“In the past few days, there have been a large number of civilian casualties in Lebanon. And countless others in the region could face the same fate if the violence continues. That cannot be allowed to happen. A major regional war must be prevented at all costs,” the Dutch Prime Minister said. He urged Israel and Lebanon to support the proposed ceasefire. “Give diplomacy a chance.”
He also spoke about Israel and Gaza. He said that, in the long run, “there are no winners in this war.” He called for “political leadership and courage” on both sides to “break the endless cycle of violence and help see ‘the other’ for who they are: people in search of a safe place to live.”
“The first steps are obvious,” Schoof said, calling for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all remaining hostages, and rapid, large-scale aid for the people of Gaza. “I know it sounds easy. And I know that simply wanting something is not the same as making it happen. But, as Nelson Mandela said: It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Schoof also urged for the reform of the UN Security Council, saying that its current form no longer reflects the realities of the 21st century. “The seats must be divided better geographically. To preserve the UN’s legitimacy, strength, and vitality. With permanent African representation at the very least,” Schoof said. “The Kingdom of the Netherlands will fully support proposals that make such reforms possible.”
The Dutch Prime Minister also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in separate meetings while in New York for the UN General Assembly. On X, Schoof said that he stressed the need for peace in the region at both meetings. “The escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is worrying, and the cycle of retaliation must be broken,” he said about the meeting with Netanyahu. “A ceasefire in Gaza also remains of great importance, whereby the hostages are released, and more humanitarian aid can reach the suffering population.”
About the conversation with Abbas, Schoof said: “The Netherlands remains committed to lasting peace in the region and to a two-state solution supported by both parties. That means a safe Isreal alongside a state of its own for the Palestinian people, with no room with terrorist organizations like Hamas.”
Dutch F-35 parts likely not reaching Israel, Defense Min. says
It is still “not likely” that parts for F-35 fighter jets made in the Netherlands are ending up in Israel, Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said. The court banned the Netherlands from exporting fighter jet parts to Israel, calling it feasible that they’ll be used for war crimes.
Parliamentarians and human rights organizations were concerned that the Netherlands continued to export to the United States, known to supply Israel. But according to Brekelmans, no new F-35s will be going from the US to Isreal in the “very short term,” ANP reported.
The Cabinet appealed against the court ruling to the Supreme Court, asking for clarification on who is responsible for foreign policy, the court or the Cabinet.
