Public opinion in the Netherlands is becoming increasingly critical of the Dutch government’s Israel policy, an new Ipsos I&O survey has shown.

In October 2023, when Hamas launched its attack on Israel, 29% supported the pro-Israel policy adopted by the Dutch government. A year later that had dropped to 21% and in the latest survey, just 15% back the Schoof administration’s official position.

Of the over 1000 respondents over the age of 18, 27% said they did not support the Dutch stance “at all” compared to 19% six months ago. Over half (54%) said they wanted the cabinet to be more critical of the Netanyahu government, compared to 47% in the previous edition.

“We see a drop in support across the board,” the researchers said.

GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 voters have been critical from the start while the majority of  VVD and CDA supporters came out in support of the cabinet. Now that has dropped to 32% and 20% respectively. Of the PVV voters, 23% are in favour of supporting Israel.

On Sunday, some 10,000 people demonstrated against the war in Gaza in Rotterdam.

“It is not five to twelve but five past twelve,” Azzedine Karrat, one of a group of imams who organised the demonstration, said. “We hope we can improve the situation for Palestinians, as far as that is still possible,” he told Rotterdam news platform Open Rotterdam.