Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon for a two-day visit. It is the first time in 15 years an Israeli premier has visited The Hague, the NRC reports.

The official aim of the visit is to intensify relations between the two countries. A close relationship with Israel is central to the minority government’s foreign policy and Israel is the only country to be named in the coalition agreement, the paper points out.
The Netherlands has a history of being a major supporter of Israel. It was one of five countries to veto Palestinian membership of Unesco. Last September, magazine Spiegel claimed the EU was unable to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict because of the Netherlands’ pro-Israel stance.
Friends
According to the NRC’s correspondent in Tel Aviv, the visit is also letting Israel know that the country is not alone and does have friends, as opposition parties claim.
And a spokesman for the prime minister told the Parool the visit is ‘to thank’ the Netherlands for its support in the international arena.
The trip includes a lunch with prime minister Mark Rutte and a meeting with queen Beatrix.
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