Amidst genocide in Gaza, the Dutch government has continued to purchase weapons from Israel over the past two years. Military equipment worth approximately one billion euros has been bought from (state-owned) companies such as Elbit, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries. A comparable amount of weaponry was ordered in the three preceding years. The Netherlands is a major customer of Israel (and the EU as a whole is even the largest importer).
In a recent letter, Minister of Defense Brekelmans (VVD) acknowledged that the armed forces are dependent on the Israeli arms industry but would prefer suppliers from the Netherlands or Europe. The objective is to limit dependence on non-European suppliers. However, it is also stated that stopping imports from Israel, for which there are allegedly no alternatives, would harm the operational capacity of the armed forces and the safety of Dutch soldiers.
Debate on Arms Imports
This letter follows two years of debate in the House of Representatives, where a growing number of parties take the position that arms imports from Israel are no longer acceptable. This is because such purchases bolster an industry that contributes to the destruction of Gaza and ongoing occupation and aggression in the region. Furthermore, many Israeli weapons have been tested on defenseless civilians, both in Palestine and beyond.
D66 has repeatedly made it clear that they no longer wish to buy weapons from Israel. The CDA is hesitant about this and asked in a recent debate whether and how the dependence on Israel could be phased out. The party also indicated that it does not want equipment that has been tested in Gaza or is involved in a war crime. If this line is maintained, certain purchases must be abandoned in any case. After all, the Netherlands currently imports material that has been used in Gaza, such as rocket artillery and anti-tank missiles.
It is likely that the VVD will join the negotiations later. This party also recently indicated that it wants to reduce the dependence on Israel. However, they elso noted that this cannot be achieved overnight. Since a new cabinet sets policy for four years, there is fortunately ample time to do this. VVD Minister Brekelmans has previously called the testing of weapons on Palestinians, of which the Israeli industry boasts, “tasteless” in a recent debate.
No New Orders
GroenLinks-PvdA is likely needed for a broad foundation for a new government, despite a current blockade by the VVD. The party has repeatedly submitted motions to immediately stop new orders in Israel and to search for alternatives. Such calls align with the views of the Dutch population. Opinion polls show that far more voters want arms imports from Israel to stop. Reputable institutions, such as the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, are now also calling for a halt to the purchase of Israeli weapons.
It is highly questionable whether there are no alternatives to Israeli weapons, as the minister claims. It is notable that some EU countries, including Spain, are already ceasing the purchase of weapons from Israel. That country cancelled the purchase of several weapons systems that the Netherlands also buys. Apparently, that country does see alternatives.
Under pressure from NATO’s massive militarization plans – too large, in our opinion – decisions on the purchase of new weapons have been made with enormous haste in recent years. Only a limited number of quickly available options were considered, which meant alternatives were overlooked. It is telling that the Ministry of Defense already concluded, during the purchase of Israeli rocket artillery, that European ammunition could replace it in the short term. If new weapons systems are genuinely needed, all options must be considered.
International Law
Parties that have criticized the Netherlands’ dependence on the Israeli war industry in recent years are now in a position to act. They can bring the purchasing policy of the Dutch government into line with the Constitution, which states that the Netherlands must promote international law. It should be self-evident not to buy weapons from a country that is committing genocide.
