Until that happens, Caspar Veldkamp said, in a letter to EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, he will  not agree to a cooperation program between the EU and Israel. 

The Dutch minister is expected to discuss this topic at an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers in Warsaw.

The Netherlands wants the European Union to investigate whether Israel is still abiding by the terms of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Until that happens, Dutch Foreign Minister Minister Caspar Veldkamp said he will  not agree to a cooperation program between the EU and Israel.

Veldkamp made this known to EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas in response to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, Dutch media reported.

According to the minister, Israel is violating Article 2 of the Association Agreement with that blockade. This states that human rights and democratic principles must be respected. The minister mentioned that Israel has not allowed humanitarian aid into Gaza for weeks and power has also been cut off there.

While Israel has announced a new  system to distribute aid in Gaza in order to avoid this aid falling in the hands of Hamas, Veldkamp has little faith in it. “Although many details are still unknown, this system does not seem to be in line with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence,” the Dutch minister wrote in his letter to Kallas.

A “broader discussion and reflection of our relationship with Israel is needed,” Veldkamp also wrote. The minister announces that he will therefore not agree to extend the EU-Israel Action Plan while the investigation is ongoing. That action plan elaborates the cooperation between the EU and Israel. The extenstion of the Action Plan requires unanimous support.

Veldkamp stressed that the situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating and that the Israeli blockade of relief aid ‘’violates the humanitarian law of war.’’ “Meanwhile, we see that the Israeli cabinet has decided to further intensify the war. There are sounds of reoccupation of the Gaza Strip. All in all, this is reason for a line in the sand,” said the minister.

But Veldkamp’s position is not shared by all government coalition parties who are  divided on Israel. The largest ruling party, Party for Freedom  (PVV), stands squarely behind Israel. So does the Farmers Movement (BBB), though less strongly. The Liberal VVD (of Minisster Veldkamp) and New Social Contract (NSC) are much more critical.

PVV leader Geert  Wilders, who supports Israel’s policy, responded briefly to Veldkamp on X: “Weak minister sides with anti-Israel protesters.”

This is the first time Veldkamp has condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza in these terms. Earlier, he said he was only conveying the concerns of the Netherlands, but that not many other European countries were open to investigating whether Israel was violating agreements at this time.

Now Veldkamp says there is more support from other European countries for a harder line.

The minister is expected to discuss his position at a two-day informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers starting on Wednesday in Warsaw.

In the meantime, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called images from Gaza “unbearable to watch”, but said  “we still have to make a decision” on recognizing a Palestinian state despite political pressure and the project championed by French President Emmanuel Macron. ‘’There is no consensus on this topic,’’ De Wever said on Tuesday in The Hague where he met his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof.

The two men discussed, among other things, “what we can do together in the world”, said the Belgian Prime Minister at a press conference.

This includes continued support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. There is also a “constructive dialogue” between the Netherlands and Belgium on the situation in the Gaza Strip, the heads of government said.

This dialogue includes French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize the Palestinian state on the sidelines of a UN conference in June.

Within the Belgian federal government, three center-left parties Vooruit, CD&V and Les Engagés are pressing for Belgium to recognize a Palestinian state. ‘’There is no consensus yet”, said Bart De Wever who has mentioned earlier this year that ‘’before  we can recognize a Palestinian state we need an agreement in which the borders of this second state are defined, as well as an acceptable state apparatus.’’

“We are following this with great interest, but we will have to take this decision within the government.” De Wever declared in The Hague. The Dutch government is also “examining” Emmanuel Macron’s plan, added Dick Schoof.