Dutch civil servants rally for Gaza ceasefire in unprecedented protest

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Dec 2023 23:45
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About 150 Foreign Ministry employees express their disagreement with the government's stance regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Government officials take part in a sit-in at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in protest to the attitude of the outgoing cabinet regarding the Israeli aggression on Gaza, in The Hague on Dec. 21, 2023. (AFP)

In an unprecedented move, Dutch civil servants gathered outside the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday, urging for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Approximately 150 employees of the Ministry displayed signs and unveiled a banner with the message "Civil Servants Demand Ceasefire" during lunchtime, expressing their dissatisfaction with the government's current position on the appeal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"There's concern over the fact that the Dutch government is still not calling for a permanent ceasefire and that is in essence why we're here today," said Angelique Eijpe, a spokesperson for the group.

Eijpe said as quoted by AFP that she resigned from Foreign Affairs last month over the continued Dutch position regarding the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Similar to Germany and Italy, the Netherlands refrained from voting in favor of a ceasefire during a recent UN General Assembly meeting, despite a substantial majority of countries supporting such a resolution. Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot later said the decision to abstain was due to the perceived lack of clarity in the resolution regarding "Israel's right to self-defense."

Protesting against Israeli violations of international and humanitarian law

However, a faction of civil servants expressed disagreement with the Dutch stance, organizing a protest that lasted approximately thirty minutes.

While protests are not uncommon in the Netherlands, it is unusual for civil servants to openly express dissent against official policies.

"We are here because we disagree with the Netherlands' stance on the ceasefire issue," said protester Jesse Jansen, 34.

"We cannot just stand by and watch while international and humanitarian law are being violated," he said as quoted by AFP.

In October, around 200 civil servants penned letters to the Dutch cabinet, urging it to request "Israel" to cease the bombardment of Gaza "and safeguard innocent civilians." The Netherlands has witnessed increasing support for a call for a ceasefire, as nearly two-thirds of those surveyed in a poll conducted by the RTL public broadcaster expressed favorability toward it.

However, Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz has slammed the civil servants' letters, saying, "The political leadership determines the policy line, not the other way around."