Jetten says it is “not his place” to join Gaza demonstration

Prime minister Rob Jetten has defended his decision to stay away from last weekend’s mass demonstration in Amsterdam against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Organisers claimed around 200,000 people joined the Red Line rally, the fourth to be held since Israel began its bombing campaign and ground offensive in response to the attacks by Hamas in October 2023.

Jetten took part in a similar demonstration in Amsterdam in October last year as leader of the D66 party, which was then in opposition, but said it was “not his place” to attend as prime minister. He also declined to describe Israel’s offensive as a genocide, as he did a year ago.

“Hundreds of thousands of people in the Netherlands took to the streets because they are concerned about the terrible humanitarian situation of many Palestinians,” he said.

“That’s why the cabinet has pledged from the outset to offer more help and put pressure on Israel.”

But he added: “I don’t think it’s my place at all to be at a demonstration like this. People have shown how moved they are by the situation of millions of Palestinians and at the same time they have urged the cabinet to act.”

VVD blockade

The prime minister has come under pressure from human rights organisations to speak out against Israel, but his coalition includes the right-wing liberal VVD party, whose leadership is staunchly pro-Israeli.

Jetten insisted at his weekly press conference on Friday that the Dutch government had made clear during bilateral talks with Israel that “the situation in Gaza, the West Bank, but also in Jordan and Syria is unacceptable”.

But he ruled out taking stronger measures such as an arms embargo or declaring that Israel was committing “genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians”, as the protest organisers demanded.

Senior politicians including Amsterdam’s former Labour party (PvdA) mayor Job Cohen have also criticised Jetten’s leadership on the issue.

Cohen and former VVD foreign affairs minister, Jozias van Aartsen, who are both Jewish, said in an interview with the Volkskrant at the weekend that they were joining the demonstration to protest against Israel’s actions.

Humanitarian values

Cohen told TV talks show Pauw, De Wit and Moggré: “I have had doubts in the past, specifically about the term genocide, because I found it so incredibly difficult to apply it not to Israel, but to this Israeli government.

“I think it’s extremely important that Israel exists as a place of refuge where Jews can go, but I think this government is appalling. My feeling is that it’s almost impossible to deny anymore that what is happening, to an increasing degree, has elements of genocide.”

Van Aartsen was critical of his own party for refusing to push for sanctions against Israel. “It would be fitting for a party that claims to be liberal to defend basic values such as humanity and international law, but they are standing by and watching,” he said.