Amsterdam City Council Urges Dutch Government to Take Clear Stance Against Israel’s Gaza Genocide
Amsterdam (Quds News Network)- Amsterdam’s city council adopted a motion calling on the Dutch government to take a clear position against Israel’s assault on Gaza, warning of a “real and imminent genocide” in the war-torn enclave.
The move, which came after a week of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Amsterdam, is based on an interim ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March that ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, the Het Parool news outlet reported.
The motion was submitted by several parties including Denk, De Vonk, Lijst Kabamba and the Party for the Animals, calling on the government to take responsibility and provide support to aid organizations in Gaza.
A majority of the council feels that the Dutch government is sidelining attention to the Palestinian cause and wants to amplify the voices of many pro-Palestinian Amsterdammers.
The parties also said that demonstrations in Amsterdam against the situation in Gaza will continue as long as the government does not take a clear position against the violence.
Furthermore, the motion aims to send a strong signal to The Hague: the Netherlands must take responsibility and take a clear stance in upholding international law.
Within the coalition, it was unclear for a long time whether the coalition parties would agree to the motion.
The PvdA, GroenLinks, and D66 decided to support it. A total of 35 out of 45 council members voted in favor of the motion.
D66 parliamentary leader Rob Hofland explained why his party voted in favor: “We read the motion as referring to the International Court of Justice’s ruling. We support the call for compliance with international law, and that’s why we voted in favor.”
The driving force behind the motion is Denk parliamentary leader Sheher Khan.
“With this motion, we want to do justice to the feelings of the Palestinian community, which have not been adequately acknowledged. This does not undermine the Jewish community, as their rights are also best protected by a council that fully supports human rights and international law,” Khan said.
It is now up to Mayor Femke Halsema, who did not comment substantively on the motion, to send the message to the cabinet. The cabinet can then choose to disregard the call, while the House of Representatives could use it as the basis for a debate.
On November 8, fans of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv who had traveled to support the Israeli team playing against the Dutch group Ajax vandalized Palestinian flags and chanted racist, anti-Arab, dehumanizing slogans.
There were “no children” left in Gaza they chanted, as they called for the Israeli army to “win”, promising to “f**k the Arabs”. They also attacked the homes of city-dwellers with Palestinian flags at their windows.
As they headed to the match on November 9, they again chanted racist slogans, prompting locals to retaliate.
In recent days, the Dutch state has tried to exert control on activists. After the clashes, Halsema issued an emergency decree banning protests. But some, enraged by Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, have defied the measure.
