Dutch MP's call gov't to recognize Palestinian state as pro-Gaza protests mount

Frans Timmermans has called on the Netherlands to follow France’s lead in recognizing Palestine as a state. “Macron is right. Recognition of Palestine is a necessary step toward peace,” the GroenLinks–PvdA leader wrote on X.

His statement follows the announcement that French President Emmanuel Macron will officially recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. “It’s time for the Netherlands to take that step as well,” Timmermans added. “Netanyahu wants to wipe Gaza off the map and drive out the people of Gaza through violence and starvation. That The Hague looks the other way and does nothing is intolerable.”

Political support for recognition is growing. Sarah Dobbe (SP) urged the government to follow France’s example. D66 leader Rob Jetten said, “Prime Minister Schoof, VVD, and NSC could take a cue from Paris.” Stephan van Baarle (DENK) submitted parliamentary questions, and the Party for the Animals also backed the call.

Not everyone agrees. Diederik van Dijk (SGP) called the plan “completely immoral,” arguing that it would force Israel to give up land and compromise its security without guaranteeing peace. “Gaza proves that this does not work,” he said.

Meanwhile, outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, a 24-hour protest vigil began Friday morning. Organized by the Rotterdam Palestine Coalition, the action is intended as a “moral and political appeal” for the Dutch government to immediately impose sanctions on Israel. A small group of demonstrators began reading aloud the names of Palestinian victims and have pledged to continue, possibly for two months, until the government acts.

Protesters chose the ministry as a symbolic site, calling it a reflection of “the moral crisis the Netherlands finds itself in.” The group accuses the Dutch government of continuing to collaborate with and invest in “the Israeli apartheid regime,” despite more than six hundred days of protests, petitions, and public pressure. Their demands include an immediate arms embargo and enforced access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“We see genocide happening right in front of our eyes,” said Ineke Palm of the Rotterdam Palestine Coalition. “In World War II people tried to say: we didn’t know. But no one can say that now.”

Participants have been asked to bring sleeping mats, water, and to wear black clothing in mourning.

Adding a nuanced voice to the national debate, the Dutch Union for Progressive Judaism issued a public statement Friday, calling for an end to the violence but refraining from taking a political position.

“This cannot go on,” the organization said in a message signed by rabbis and board members representing ten affiliated communities. “We are witnessing immense loss, fear, and grief, among both Palestinians and Israelis. That touches us all, regardless of background or belief.”

The union emphasized that the conflict is too complex and emotionally charged for a unified political stance, noting that opinions vary widely within the Jewish community itself. Still, they said it is understandable that Israel defends itself, “as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages, openly calls for Israel’s destruction, and seeks to maintain power at all costs.”

At the same time, the union stressed that all actions must be judged by international moral and ethical standards. “One thing is visible to all: the endless suffering of people, Palestinians and Israelis alike. That must end as quickly as possible.”

The organization called on all faith and philosophical communities, including its own, to take shared responsibility. “This is a national and international moral duty. The conversation must now be about how to stop the suffering.”

The rabbis and board urged political leaders not to delay and to seize this crisis as an opportunity to work “honestly and, above all, in a balanced way toward real and therefore lasting peace, for all involved.”