Dutch Foreign Minister resigns after controversy over sanctioning Israel

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced his resignation on Friday evening, following controversy over possible sanctions on Israel during a cabinet session.

“I don’t see myself in a position to take any significant additional measures to pressure Israel,” Veldkamp said.

The Dutch Foreign Minister had stated on Thursday his desire to take additional measures against Israel, after Amsterdam declared far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich “persona non grata” in July.

The Netherlands was among 21 countries that signed a joint statement on Thursday describing Israel’s approval of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank as “unacceptable and contrary to international law”.

Veldkamp said the measures he proposed were seriously discussed but faced opposition in several cabinet meetings.

Veldkamp subsequently decided to resign, believing he didn’t have sufficient confidence in his ability to serve as foreign minister in the coming weeks, months, and year.

The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, after its experts warned that 500,000 people were living in a state of “catastrophic hunger,” holding Israel responsible for the situation, amid the ongoing war in the Strip since 2023.