Dutch parliament urges suspension of EU-Israel deal over Israeli crimes  

A majority in the Dutch House of Representatives has backed a proposal calling on the Netherlands’ government to push for the suspension of the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement at the bloc over the regime's crimes against Palestinians.

During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, the political party called Democrats 66 (D66) and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which are part of the ruling coalition, stressed that Israel's attacks on Lebanon, expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, and recent legislative developments raise serious human rights concerns.

They backed exploring EU-level measures, including suspending trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000 and includes a clause stipulating that cooperation between the parties is contingent on respect for human rights and democratic principles.

The proposal gained backing from a broad cross-party majority, including GroenLinks-PvdA, Socialist Party, Party for the Animals, Denk, Volt Netherlands, and Forum for Democracy.

EU proposes curbing Israel trade ties amid public pressure over Gaza genocide

The European Union has proposed curbing trade ties with Israel and sanctioning right-wing extremist ministers over the relentless aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip.

However, the coalition party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), opposed a stronger condemnation of Israel at this stage.

"After the death penalty law for Palestinians, the torture of children, state backed settler terror and the genocide on Palestinians, finally a majority in Dutch parliament to suspend the trade part of the EU-Israel association agreement," Dutch lawmaker Kati Piri said on social media platform X.

The adopted motion urges the Dutch government to take a leading role within the EU in advocating for the suspension of the agreement’s trade component.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen is now expected to raise the issue with EU member states during the foreign ministers' meeting on April 21. But any decision to suspend the accord would require consensus among all member countries.

Separately, a European Citizens’ Initiative recently gathered over 1 million signatures within three months, calling on the European Commission to suspend the agreement.

This comes as the Israeli parliament has adopted a controversial bill that approves the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.

‎The developments come amid a surge in Israeli military and settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as thousands of abductions, against the backdrop of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza

Violence by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank has intensified since October 2023 when the regime conducted a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 1,148 Palestinians, wounding 11,750, and leading to 22,000 arrests in the occupied territories.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

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