Elham Asaad Buaras
Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, resigned on August 22, following a failure to secure cabinet support for additional sanctions against Israel over its military operations in Gaza. The resignation triggered broader political upheaval, with all ministers and state secretaries from Veldkamp’s New Social Contract party stepping down in solidarity.
Veldkamp, a member of the centre-right party, said he had been unable to achieve agreement on “meaningful measures” and faced repeated resistance from colleagues over existing sanctions. His proposals included entry bans for far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whom he accused of inciting settler violence against Palestinians.
He also revoked three export permits for navy ship components, warning of “deteriorating conditions” in Gaza and the “risk of undesirable end use.” Veldkamp told reporters: “I also see what is happening on the ground in Gaza, the attack on Gaza City, and what is happening in the West Bank, the building decision for the disputed settlement E1, and East Jerusalem.”
The departure leaves the Netherlands without a foreign minister at a time when the European Union is navigating security guarantees for Ukraine and ongoing trade discussions with the United States. According to media reports, Veldkamp had been under increasing pressure from parliament, especially from opposition lawmakers demanding stricter sanctions against Israel.
While Veldkamp had previously imposed travel bans for two Israeli ministers, he faced growing calls to act more decisively following Israel’s attacks on Gaza City and the West Bank. Veldkamp had also pushed for a suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement but faced opposition from Germany. As journalist Step Vaessen explained: “Veldkamp has increasingly become frustrated because Germany was blocking that. So, there was also this push from the Dutch parliament that the Netherlands shouldn’t wait anymore for any European sanctions but should put sanctions on Israel alone.”
Despite limited Dutch sanctions, the country continues to support Israel’s F-35 supply chain. Research from the Palestinian Youth Movement indicates that components for the fighter jets, used in airstrikes on Gaza, frequently arrive at the port of Rotterdam via Danish shipping company Maersk. These strikes have devastated Gaza and contributed to the deaths of more than 62,000 people since October 2023.
The Netherlands joined 20 other nations in condemning Israel’s approval of a large West Bank settlement expansion, describing it as “unacceptable and contrary to international law.” Meanwhile, Israeli military operations in Gaza continue, forcing civilians from Gaza City southward amid worsening famine conditions confirmed by a global hunger monitor last Friday.
No immediate successor to Veldkamp has been announced. The caretaker Dutch government, in place since June 3, is expected to remain until a new coalition forms following elections on October 29—a process that could take several months.
Photo: Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who resigned on August 22, pictured meeting former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. (Credit: Benjamin Hall/FCDO)
