Foreign Min. no longer visiting Israel after ICC issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
A planned visit by Minister Caspar Veldkamp to Israel is no longer happening. A spokesperson for the Ministry told NOS that the decision not to go was made in “mutual consultation,” but Israel reports that the invitation was withdrawn after Veldkamp said that the Netherlands intended to respect the arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant. PVV leader Geert Wilders still intends to visit illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank next month.
The ICC issued the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant due to indications that they “bear criminal responsibility” for several crimes, including using starvation as a weapon and “murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” NU.nl reported. There are also indications that they ordered attacks on the civilian population in the Palestinian Territories.
Netanyahu’s office spoke of “absurd and false accusations” by the ICC and rejected them “with horror.”
In a parliamentary debate on the Foreign Affairs budget on Thursday, MPs asked Veldkamp how the Netherlands would respond if Netanyahu visits. The Foreign Affairs Minister said that the Israeli Prime Minister would be arrested “in principle.” He also said that the Netherlands would cut all “non-essential” contacts with Netanyahu and Gallant.
Veldkamp planned to visit Israel in the near future, though his Ministry refused to reveal the date for security reasons. The date quickly leaked during the debate, when GroenLinks-PvdA parliamentarian Kati Piri mentioned November 25 - much to Veldkamp’s irritation.
Early Thursday evening, Israeli media reported that Veldkamp was no longer welcome and that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had withdrawn his invitation due to Veldkamp’s statements on arresting Netanyahu. Veldkamp himself announced that the trip was canceled a short time later.
A spokesperson for the Ministry told NOS that the Netherlands and Israel had canceled the trip in joint consultation due to “the current circumstances.” He didn’t make clear exactly what that meant.
PVV leader Wilders was invited to visit Israeli settlements in the West Bank next month and he still intends to visit his “friend Netanyahu,” he said on X. “I am proud to meet my friend Netanyahu soon in Israel,” he said, along with criticism of the arrest warrant against him.
