Eline Bosman has thought for a long time whether she should talk to the press. When asked about her analysis of Dutch Israel policy, the former official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly pauses briefly. “I find that quite difficult,” Bosman says. And: “This interview is going a little differently than I thought.”
However, behind the modest attitude there are clear principles. Bosman makes a harsh judgment about the role the Netherlands has played since the Hamas attacks and the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023. The Netherlands, Bosman says, has fallen through the ice as an international champion of human rights. The fact that the bloody war (more than 1,200 Israelis and more than 46,000 Palestinians died) appears to be coming to an end does not change this. “We cannot say: let’s look ahead. Someone will have to account for this.”
Eline Bosman (42) worked as a civil servant at ‘Buza’ for ten years and four months. She was political assistant to former minister Bert Koenders (PvdA) and team leader of the ‘Mashreq region’ (Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon) at the North Africa and Middle East Directorate. She then served as deputy department head at the European Integration Directorate.
Last December she had enough and resigned, but not before writing a short note to Minister Caspar Veldkamp. Bosman wished the minister that he would be remembered as someone who had spoken out “clearly and forcefully” against war crimes and genocide “despite great pressure” from the coalition partners. With the note she sent a jar of sweets in the colors of the Palestinian flag: green, white, red. She posted a photo of it – with the note – on LinkedIn.
“This jar didn’t fit 42,000 candies, but I hope they help you remember that 67 children die every day in Gaza,” she wrote underneath.
You are very strict with Minister Veldkamp.
“Yes. He should have spoken out as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has been a diplomat in the region (Veldkamp was ambassador in Tel Aviv, ed.), he knows the situation like no other.”
But what could he have done?
“I have worked as a political assistant long enough to know that when you are Minister of Foreign Affairs you have influence. He could have called allies in Europe to work together. Instead, he said in the House of Representatives that Israel had not crossed any red lines, while the International Court of Justice says genocide is plausible and the International Criminal Court accuses Netanyahu of war crimes.”
The argument of Veldkamp, but also of his predecessors in the Rutte IV cabinet, was: there is no point in condemning Israel, behind the scenes we can try to hold them accountable for violations of humanitarian law during the bombing of Gaza.
“You can keep talking, but if that doesn’t produce any results, it will stop at some point, right?”
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been a sensitive issue, says Bosman, but the Dutch position was the result of deliberation. “I remember Koenders saying that the Palestinian State could be recognized before a final peace settlement was reached. That was a major change in policy at the time, which was immediately reversed by Minister Zijlstra (VVD).”
Has that policy now fundamentally changed, or is the reality ‘on the ground’ different? Hamas’s terrorist attack was unprecedented. And the Netanyahu government now consists largely of extremists. The Dutch Israel policy was subjected to a stress test.
“I should hope that that is not a reason to adapt, if the Constitution states that the Netherlands wants to promote the international legal order. I always thought: I work for the Netherlands, I know what this country stands for. If we are tested now, my conclusion is: we are failing.”
Why?
“We have made great efforts at the UN for a resolution that condemns the use of hunger as a weapon. Israel did that by closing the Gaza Strip, but we didn’t say anything about it. The Dutch state wants to continue the export of parts for Israeli F-35s, even though there are indications that war crimes are being committed. Dutch foreign policy has become value-free.”
Foreign policy is Realpolitik, right? Ultimately, the national interest is decisive.
“When colleagues at posts abroad wanted to raise human rights issues, they were interrupted during their speech: but why don’t you say anything about Gaza? The Netherlands is a small country, maintaining the international legal order is a vital interest for our country.”
You wrote on LinkedIn that your work at BZ gave you a stomach ache.
“Not every day, but often when I entered the department in the morning.”
After the outbreak of the war in Gaza, officials sent a letter to (outgoing) Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot about Israel policy. Objective official advice was no longer possible, the officials – including you – wrote.
“At BZ, civil servants often advise ‘in the spirit’ of the minister – in the department this is considered a virtue. But I think it is not the civil servant’s job to keep the minister out of the wind, that is what he has his political advisor for.”
Former Secretary General Huijts found you and your colleagues ‘uncollegial’: civil servants must conform to the political leadership.
“As a civil servant, I took an oath to the constitution. For me that means: a values-driven foreign policy.”
How many civil servants have left because of the Dutch Israel policy?
“I don’t know exactly.”
Not much, considering the number of civil servants protesting the Gaza war every week.
“I can well imagine that civil servants say: I think it is important to continue to provide advice.”
Some officials decided to leak to the press.
“I really don’t think that’s okay.”
How do you think we will look back on Dutch policy in ten years’ time?
“I see this as an important period in Dutch foreign policy, where, to my knowledge, we have never fallen so deeply through the ice.”
You were on the list for GroenLinks-PvdA at the last parliamentary elections. But a large majority in the House of Representatives unconditionally supports Israel.
“It’s not about my political color. As a civil servant, I took an oath to the Constitution. It states that the Netherlands promotes international law.”