The violence in Gaza makes a lot of loose. Demonstrations, social media posts: everything comes by. The call for action not only sounds on the street or on social media, but also in various Brabant council halls. But does it make sense to speak out as a Brabant municipality against violence on the other side of the world?
Officially, municipalities are not about foreign policy. Yet some municipalities think it is necessary to say something about the war in Gaza. Pieter Jeroense, researcher at the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) says that municipalities are issuing a ‘powerful signal’. “As a municipality, you have the role of making the voice of your population heard. If all those messages come from municipalities, it is jointly about many residents.”
“It would be crazy if a whole city talked about a subject, but the municipality does nothing with it.” In several municipalities, signals and motions are adopted or a letter is sent to The Hague. Jeroense states that it is therefore useful if local authorities speak about this. “I think it just makes sense by talking about it together.”
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He points out that it is exceptional in the Netherlands. “It does not often happen that mayors and municipal councils speak out about foreign politics in this way.” The last time was in the 80s, around the discussion about cruise missiles and the apartheid regime in South Africa. “So it is really special that that is playing now. It says something about how things are going in society, because the city council or college translates what is happening in society.”
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Motion
The Eindhoven city council has sent a letter to Caspar Veldkamp, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. “In principle, it is not the task of local authorities to deal with international politics,” the municipality writes after a survey by Omroep Brabant. “But exceptions can be made there. In this situation, the city council of Eindhoven considered it necessary to point out the government of its responsibility in this matter.”
In Helmond the council went one step further with a motion. “We asked the cabinet to stop the regime that is guilty of war mass days,” says councilor Omar Fkihi, who submitted the motion together with the SP. “If we indicate, this is the boundary and several people will follow our example, there will be busy. We show: we stand for human rights.”
“As Amnesty. The Supreme Court and the International Criminal Court speak of genocide, you as a city cannot remain silent,” he continues. He had the feeling that he had to do something with it. “That we speak for human rights, against genocide and committing war crimes.” According to Fkihi, it also gives residents the feeling that they are being listened to. “That creates connection and the feeling of trust.”
