It is unusual for Dutch and European officials to be openly critical of Israel and Hamas. They are treading on thin ice.
In a letter to the cabinet, a few hundred government officials criticize the support that the Netherlands has expressed for Israel. A group of European officials have expressed a similar opinion about the position of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It is very unusual for civil servants to become so openly involved in a political discussion and for good reason.
Of the nearly 140,000 government officials, 267 have signed a letter calling on the cabinet to stop Israel as quickly as possible “and protect innocent civilians.” Although the letter condemns Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians, it calls Israel’s response “disproportionate and excessive.”
European civil servants express themselves in a similar manner. They believe that the EU is applying double standards by condemning Russia in the war in Ukraine but not stopping Israel in the same way because of the war with Hamas.
The letters show that the war in the Middle East leads to intense emotions and leaves deep scars in our society. The only question is whether this group of civil servants has not allowed themselves to be carried away too much by those emotions.
Civil servants are of course entitled to their own opinion and must be able to express it appropriately. But ultimately policy decisions are made by democratically elected politicians. They are responsible, can defend themselves in public and can also be held accountable.
Ministers and other politically elected ministers are always responsible when civil servants make mistakes. Civil servants are kept out of the wind, their names are not known, and in case of serious mistakes the minister will have to resign.
That is also not without reason. It is telling that some of the Dutch civil servants who signed the letter were quite shocked by the reactions, which they experienced as “unsafe”. They are clearly on thin ice.