A few former leaders of the Labor Party disagree with the position of the GroenLinks-PvdA group in the Lower House to set up a full arms embargo against Israel. At the PvdA Congress on Saturday in Nieuwegein, they want one motion Submit to ‘reconsider’ this position.
Abroad spokesperson and MP Kati Piri submitted a motion on Thursday, which did not get a majority in parliament. In it she argued for a stop on the delivery of weapons – including the parts that the Netherlands supplies for the Israeli rocket shield Iron Dome, which protects citizens against incoming missiles.
Lodewijk Asscher, Job Cohen and Ad Melkert, among others, write that “the loss of rocket defense could lead to tens of thousands of extra innocent civilian casualties due to a lack of parts”.
“Based on both international law and the principle of international solidarity,” they think that the PvdA should always place itself on the side of ‘innocent citizens’. That is why “to protect the population”, Dutch armrest to Israel is “needed”. The petitioners request the party board to “distance themselves from the Piri motion”.
Fuss
Piri himself said earlier on Friday NRC That “Israel was always a split mushroom within the PvdA”. “With his attack on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has started a new reckless adventure. Israel can bomb Iran because the rocket shield largely protects them against Iranian missiles. That is why we can no longer maintain that delivering parts for the Iron Dome only saves lives, and no human lives can.”
About the fuss that arose around the motion, Piri said: “Sometimes you have to show in political leadership, instead of just worrying about possible fuss.”
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