Outcry over Dutch MPs' video call with Israeli politician who called for another Nakba

A video conversation scheduled for Monday between members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, and members of the Israeli parliament caused controversy, RTL Nieuws reported. The controversy stems from the participation of Israeli parliamentarian Ariel Kallner, known for advocating a new mass expulsion of Palestinians. Several dozen of people demonstrated on Monday to protest against the online meeting.

Ariel Kallner, a member of the ruling Likud party and party colleague of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, participated in the video conversation with four members of the Tweede Kamer on Monday afternoon.

In the wake of an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, Kallner wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Right now, we have one goal: a Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of '48.” This refers to the 1948 mass expulsion of Arabs, known to Palestinians as the Nakba or Catastrophe. “Turn off the enemy now! This day is our Pearl Harbor,” he also wrote.

D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma stated that a video call including Kallner is “absolutely not possible.” "We therefore believe that this conversation should not take place," he declared. "We draw the line at what is punishable. Ariel Kallner has made a reprehensible call for a second, ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. I believe that the Chamber should in no way be a platform for those who incite violence."

The conversation took place on Monday at 3:00 p.m. The following MPs registered: Kees van der Staaij (SGP), Derk Jan Eppink (BBB), Wybren van Haga, and Ruben Brekelmans (VVD).

A spokesperson for the Tweede Kamer indicated that the decision to proceed with discussions with the Israeli parliament is determined by the Foreign Affairs committee. After a majority decision in a procedural meeting, the committee authorized the continuation of this dialogue.

AD reported that several dozen people demonstrated in front of the Tweede Kamer on Monday afternoon to protest against the online meeting. The protesters chanted slogans like "Rutte, shame, blood on your hands" and called for a ceasefire and a new intifada (uprising). Participants carried a sign with a photo of Adolf Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu side by side with the text: "This is a holocaust in 2023. The irony of becoming what you once hated. Free Palestine." Another sign rea, "Bombing kids is not self-defense."