Chamber majority for embargo on goods from illegal Israeli settlements

A majority of the House of Representatives is for a trade embargo against Israeli illegal settlements on Palestinian territory. That became apparent on Wednesday evening, when VVD MP Eric van der Burg promised the support of his group for the proposal during a debate in the Chamber.

The measure has been discussing for weeks, including two weeks ago during the debate about the second fall of the cabinet. NSC had left the outgoing cabinet because, according to NSC, the VVD and BBB stopped any form of measures against Israel. Van der Burg submitted a motion in which he argued for preparing sanctions against illegal settlements. The VVD voted against a D66 motion in which it was proposed to set such an embargo immediately. The VVD was accused of lingering by critical room fractions.

Evacuation

Another proposal that during that debate also came up again on Wednesday: the medical evacuation of Gazan children who are now staying in Egypt and other surrounding countries. These are children who, for example, have cancer and cannot or cannot be treated badly. In Gaza itself, the care system is almost completely destroyed by Israel, and in neighboring countries there are long waiting lists. Van der Burg said it is “the most effective and efficient” to help the sick Gazan children in the region, and is therefore against the proposal. SGP leader Chris Stoffer did not like evacuating children either. They both said that this issue was one of the most harrowing in the debate, but that the help of the Netherlands would be “a drop on a glowing plate”.

According to GroenLinks-PvdA MP Mohammed Mohandis, it is possible to treat children in Dutch hospitals within a week. Other Western European countries have been doing this for some time.

Aid organization Save the Children denies that treatment in the region can now be more effective, because doctors with multiple expertise are needed. In addition, there are problems finding places in the hospitals. “These children simply don’t have that time,” says a spokesperson.

According to the cabinet, the countries around the Gaza Strip are struggling with ‘capacity problems’. The Association of Dutch Hospitals has indicated on Tuesday to have capacity to receive these children. The association wrote: “For the provision of inhumanly affected children, also from Gaza, the support from politics is urgently desirable.”

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