The Netherlands will continue to support Israel and values the intense relationship between the two countries, foreign minister Uri Rosenthal told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Netanyahu is in the Netherlands on a two-day visit. On Thursday he also held meetings with parliamentary leaders and MPs.
In particular, left-wing MPs were critical of Israel, with Socialist MP Harry Bommel accusing Netanyahu of ‘standing in the way of the peace process’ in the Middle East, Nos television reported.
But Gerard van Roon, MP for the anti-Islam PVV, said Israel should continue on its present path and keep building new settlements in the Occupied Territories, Nos said.
Speech
On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu gave a speech in Amsterdam in which he said the Netherlands and Israel take the same position on the Middle East conflict and the threat presented by a nuclear Iran, the NRC reported.
In the speech, Netanyahu said the Netherlands and Israel agree about solving the Middle East conflict and he personally invited Palestinian president Abbas to revive peace talks as soon as possible, the paper said.
And he thanked the Netherlands for supporting sanctions against Iran, restating his position that a nuclear Iran is a threat to the region and the world.

Reward
It is the first time in 15 years that an Israeli prime minister has visited the Netherlands, and the trip is being seen as a reward for Dutch support for Israel in recent years.
Meanwhile, economic affairs minister Maxime Verhagen has announced that the Netherlands is sending a trade mission to Israel later this year. Dutch exports to Israel total some €1bn on an annual basis, mainly electrical equipment and cars.
The Netherlands, in turn, is Israel’s second biggest European export destination, importing goods to the value of €2.1bn, largely medicine, computers, fruit and vegetables, the ministry said.