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- 14 juni 2011
Innovation Nations Promoting Stronger Relations Between The Netherlands And Israel In A Changing Middle East
groom Rutte, bride Wilders, little boy Verhagen
Speech by the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Maxime Verhagen, at the Technion in Haifa, Israel.
Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
It’s good to be back in Israel. It has been one year since my last visit, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the previous government. Now, I return as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. All the more reason for me to be delighted to be here with you today. Israel is an innovation nation, a country of entrepreneurs. And this university, ranked as one of the world’s best in scientific and technical research, is a product of that pioneering spirit.
The purpose of my trip to Israel is to explore what Israel and the Netherlands can learn from each other, and how we can further strengthen our relations.
Israel and the Netherlands have maintained close relations ever since the proclamation of the State of Israel. Our ties have endured and deepened over the years, and successive Dutch governments have stood by you.
What you have achieved in this country commends respect. Today, Israel is a modern democracy founded on the rule of law. And it still is the only country in the region, so far, that can make this claim with truth.
I sincerely hope that the early signs of an Arab spring will turn out to have been portents of democracy, prosperity and peace in the Middle East. But this prospect will need hard work and dedication.
In a changing climate, the Netherlands wants to be a true friend and a practical ally. This is why the Dutch government is promoting closer relations between Israel and the Netherlands. Both political and economic.
True ally
Let me start with politics.
The Netherlands continues to support the peace process. We strongly support a realistic and pragmatic approach. And we urge the parties to immediately resume negotiations with a view to reaching a framework agreement by September.
As President Obama said on 19 May: “At a time when the people of the Middle East and North Africa are casting off the burdens of the past, the drive for a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever.”
In the next two days, I will meet with President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Fayyad.
I will let them know that the Dutch government remains in favour of a two-state solution with a safe, secure and democratic Jewish state of Israel and an independent, viable and democratic Palestinian state
We continue to see four clear parameters for negotiations:
First, borders should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed land swaps.
Second, adequate international guarantees must be given to meet Israeli and Palestinian security concerns.
Third, a fair and realistic solution needs to be reached for the Palestinian refugees. Their large-scale return to Israel is not a realistic option as this would jeopardize the Jewish character of the State of Israel. It would also undermine the very reason of being of a Palestinian state. The refugees should be offered an acceptable settlement, including compensation for those who will not be able to go back.
Fourth, there must be an agreement on the status of Jerusalem.
When President Abbas visits the Netherlands shortly, the Dutch government will also reiterate that Hamas can only become part of the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if it subscribes to the Quartet Principles:
renounce violence;
recognise Israel, and;
accept previous agreements.
At the same time, we stand ready to strengthen relations with the Palestinian Territories as well as Israel.
Let me add the following. When David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel’s independence on 14 May 1948, it was not just a sovereign state that was created but it was a Jewish state. It heralded the justified homecoming of an entire people.
This principle was recognised by the international community as early as 1917, in the Balfour Declaration. And again in 1947 in Resolution 181 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which recommended the establishment of a Jewish state and an Arab state on the territory of the British Mandate.
The previous Dutch government supported that position, and so does the current one.
True friend
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Dutch are true to their word, but we are not a people of many words. Like you, we believe in deeds. So the question we ask is: what can we do for the peace process?
This is where the economic relations come in. The Dutch government is committed to exploring new possibilities for innovation by and cooperation between the governments, businesses and research institutions of our two countries. To us, this is both an end in itself and a means to an end, as we believe it can make a practical contribution to advancing the peace process. I explain.
As the grandson of a Buchenwald survivor, I have learned one lesson: there can be no lasting peace without prosperity. My grandfather understood that. After the war, as an alderman in the town of Sittard in the south of the Netherlands, he insisted on cooperating with local officials in Germany. Because economic relations and interdependence contribute to a lasting peace.
This wisdom guided great minds as they sought to overcome the pain and hatred left behind by a devastating war. Upon this wisdom the European Union has been built. And in spite of initial scepticism, in my own country and elsewhere, it has worked. Economic integration turned the post-war peace in Europe into a lasting peace.
So I agree with President Peres that technology is a force for peace. Equally, trade and investment are forces for peace. But a lasting peace in the Middle East requires prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians.
There is a trap to be avoided here. Peace cannot wait for growth. But peace can only last when people have food on their tables, a roof over their heads and prospects for the future.
So when I say we want to strengthen economic relations with Israel, I also mean the Palestinian Territories. We believe this will help create a peaceful and prosperous Palestinian state.
So I urge Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinian exports as announced half a year ago. As I have said repeatedly over the past four years: Israel must allow normal trade relations between Gaza and the West Bank and third countries. This is just as important for the Israelis as it is for the Palestinians.
New opportunities for business and innovation
Ladies and gentlemen,
Amidst all the news about conflicts and negotiations in the Middle East, people tend to forget that Israel is a country just like any other. Albeit a country with exceptionally entrepreneurial people and a vibrant, open and innovative economy.
I must confess that I am both impressed and puzzled. How does Israel manage to have the second highest number of start-up companies in the world after the US?! And what makes you spend so much on research and development: 4,7 per cent of your gross national product goes to R&D! More than in any other OECD country! I hope that you will let me in on the secret.
For Israel’s achievements in business and innovation are an inspiration to the Dutch government’s plans to encourage entrepreneurship and boost innovation. We are putting particular emphasis on nine top sectors of our economy. From energy, high-tech, life sciences and water to agrifood, horticulture, logistics, chemicals and creative industries.
These are sectors in which Dutch companies and knowledge institutes stand out on the world market. These are sectors where I expect to find opportunities for increased cooperation.
We can build on solid foundations. Israel and the Netherlands are long-standing partners in business and innovation. The Netherlands is amongst Israel’s five most important trade and investment partners. We are the second European destination for Israeli exports. Companies large and small have built a solid reputation in Israel.
A company like Philips Medical Systems is the leading provider of CT scanners to Israeli hospitals. It is also the first provider of a medical imaging technology called PACS, jointly developed with its Israeli counterpart Medtechnica.
There are many more examples of successful cooperation between Dutch and Israeli companies and researchers. Like the highly efficient water treatment system designed by the Dutch Aqua Explorer and the Israeli Aqwise [ekwaiz], which is about to be brought to the market.
Earlier today, I visited Better Place – by electric car. The company is now preparing an electric taxi service between Amsterdam and Schiphol airport which will become operational in 2012. Dutch companies like Extendis are interested in cooperating with Better Place to improve battery recharging time.
In research and academia, as in business, there are long-standing Israeli-Dutch ties. Some of you are well aware of this, as we have an active Technion Society that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation in the Netherlands!
Professor Golany himself is an important contact for the Society, as he helped it set up a cooperation between his Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management and the Erasmus School of Economics. Another exciting project the Society has stimulated, is joint research and cooperation on cardiovascular ultrasound techniques between Technion and the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government have shown interest in our fifty years of expertise with natural gas. It ranges from regulation and exploitation to transportation and storage. Dutch companies and the government are open to sharing this expertise in respect of the newly discovered gas fields off the coast of Haifa and Gaza.
Finally, let’s not forget agrifood and horticulture, which are increasingly becoming high-tech sectors. In which the Netherlands stand out, as we arethe world’s second largest exporter of agrifood.
In this area, too, cooperation with Israel yields splendid results. High-tech SME Dacom, which has won one of the most prestigious innovation prices in the Netherlands, is working with Israeli universities and research institutes on groundbreaking techniques and applications in irrigation. It combines root and leaf sensors with GPS techniques to determine how much water crops need, and at what time. This has yielded impressive results at El Gilat, both in crop output and in water saving.
On the other hand, the Israeli seed development company Hazera Genetics will soon expand its activities in the Netherlands.
Last but not least, I am glad that Israel is seriously considering taking part in the renowned Dutch horticulture exhibition Floriade in 2012. This cutting-edge event, held only once every ten years, is an ideal opportunity to showcase Israeli agritechnology for the European public.
So, ladies and gentlemen, you will not be surprised when I tell you that water, agrifood and sustainable energy are on the menu for me tomorrow night. For these will be the themes of the first Israeli-Dutch Innovation Dinner, which I will be hosting. Companies and research institutes from our two countries will be looking into concrete opportunities for cooperation. Considering the can-do spirit that I sense here in Israel, I expect it will be a fruitful evening!
Ladies and gentlemen,
I see many opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation. I am pleased that Minister Shalom Simhon [Siemgon] of Industry, Trade and Labour shares my view. This is why we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation in the field of science and technology.
I am glad to say that we are also witnessing a growing interest among Israeli companies in establishing their European headquarters in the Netherlands. They are attracted by our favourable tax climate, highly qualified workforce and strategic location in Europe.
We are always ready to help companies set up shop in our country. So if you have plans, please don’t hesitate to contact our people at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency!
Let’s not forget multilateral opportunities either. The Netherlands will continue pressing for normalisation of Israel’s position in the international community and speaking up for balanced resolutions. In more technical international fora like the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International Monetary Fund, Israel should be treated like any other country.
Concluding remarks
Ladies and gentlemen,
To conclude. The Dutch government is committed to investing in stronger political and economic relations between Israel and the Netherlands.
In January 2012, we hope to inaugurate the Dutch-Israeli Cooperation Council. This is an initiative of my colleague Uri Rosenthal, the Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs.
The next couple of days, I will seize every opportunity to discuss possibilities of strengthening economic relations between Israel, the Netherlands and the Palestinian Territories. As I said, economic peace is no substitute for real peace. But stepping up economic ties can definitely advance the cause of peace.
I plan to come back next year with an economic mission that will strongly focus on innovation.
I am convinced that we can learn a lot from you here at the Technion. Not only do you deliver outstanding research, but also you translate science into concrete services and products. I must say that I am envious of the number of start-up companies that emerge from this great university! And I hope that the Technion Society of the Netherlands will continue to grow.
I would like to conclude with an appeal to you, the academic and business leaders of today and tomorrow. Governments facilitate, encourage, assist. We create the conditions. But you are the ones taking action on the ground. You are the ones who innovate and invest, trade and reach out to new partners. You make research and business cooperation work. And you can help lay the groundwork for peace, too.
As a true friend and a practical ally, we are reaching out to you. Let’s work together for a better future for our countries and our neighbours.
Thank you.
http://fwd4.me/03x3
Maxim Verhagen - Gaza Flotilla - Mavi Marmara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMDZOVHCkMQ
Maxim Verhagen - Gaza Flotilla - Mavi Marmara. Israel was justified in entering the vessel in international waters 19 jun 2011, 13:28 , Respect -
Maria 19 juni 2011
Jews, Muslims appeal ritual slaughter plan
Dutch lawmakers asked not to enforce plans requiring animals to be stunned before halal, kosher slaughter traditions.
Jewish and Muslim representatives Thursday appealed to Dutch lawmakers not to enforce plans requiring animals to be stunned before halal and kosher slaughtering rituals.
"We are against any form of stunning because it's against our religion," Yusuf Altuntas, president of the CMO - an organisation that links the Muslim community with the Dutch government - told a parliamentary commission.
"One of the first measures taken during the Occupation (during World War II) was the closing of kosher abattoirs," Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs added during the debate in The Hague.
Dutch law required animals to be stunned before being slaughtered but made an exception for ritual halal and kosher slaughters.
The country's Party for Animals (PvdD) which holds two seats in the 150-seat Dutch parliament, has submitted a proposal, if implemented, would see this exception abolished.
Dutch media widely reported that the PvdD's proposal was expected to get a majority nod from parliamentarians, but a timeframe was not given.
"The animals suffer more and are more distressed if they are not stunned," Esther Ouwehand, a PvdD parliamentarian told AFP.
"By getting this modification in the law, we hope to inspire other countries," she added, pointing out that in Norway and Sweden these measures had already been taken.
More than two million animals -- mainly sheep and chickens -- were being subjected to ritual slaughter every year in the Netherlands, the PvdD added.
'Animals' welfare respected'
Abdelfattah Ali-Salah, director of Halal Correct, the organisation which issues halal certificates in the country, however called the figure "inexact".
He said some 250,000 animals were slaughtered yearly without being stunned beforehand.
Jewish and Muslim representatives Thursday insisted ritual slaughter respected the animals' welfare, notably restriction methods used to limit suffering and that those slaughtering received expert training.
"If we no longer have people who can do ritual slaughter in the Netherlands, we will stop eating meat," Chief Rabbi Jacobs said.
They did however offer to implement some measures which they said would ease the animals' suffering, especially better controls in abattoirs where ritual slaughters were performed and an improvement in conditions under which animals were being transported.
Several organisations in France, among them the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, in January launched a poster campaign, reporting conditions in which animals were killed during ritual slaughter.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4083578,00.html 24 jun 2011, 13:42 , Respect -
Maria 22 juni 2011
Netherlands embraces Israel tighter, squeezing out human rights
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
While Israel continues its ruthless occupation and oppression in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Syria’s Golan Heights, the right-wing government of the Netherlands http://fwd4.me/04lR plans to deepen its economic collaboration with Israel instead of holding it accountable for its violations of international law.
Maxime Verhagen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation set out the Dutch government’s newest plans to strengthen political and economic relations with Israel in a 14 June speech in Haifa (“Innovation Nations Promoting Stronger Relations Between The Netherlands And Israel In A Changing Middle East”). http://fwd4.me/03x3
Verhagen announced policies in Israel about which the Dutch government had apparently not even informed parliament, The Electronic Intifada discovered.
Putting business before human rights
Trade and investment are forces for peace, Verhagen argued in his speech, “So when I say we want to strengthen economic relations with Israel, I also mean the Palestinian Territories. We believe this will help create a peaceful and prosperous Palestinian state.”
Verhagen urged Israel to allow normal trade between Gaza, the West Bank and third countries. But most of his speech was concerned with praising Israel and offering more rewards — not merely economic, but political as well.
Verhagen highlighted the long-standing Dutch-Israeli ties in the areas of research and development, academia and business. The collaboration covers high-tech industries, water, agrifood and horticulture.
For example, Verhagen talked about his visit to Better Place http://fwd4.me/04lS , an Israeli company which is building transport infrastructure in settlements and on Jewish-only roads in the occupied West Bank, as an investigation by The Electronic Intifada found last year http://fwd4.me/04lT . Verhagen pointed out that Better Place is “now preparing an electric taxi service between Amsterdam and Schiphol airport which will become operational in 2012.”
The Dutch government offered to share expertise in respect to the newly-discovered gas fields off the coast of Haifa and Gaza, said Verhagen. This offer could potentially embroil the Netherlands in pillage of Palestinian natural resources.
Verhagen spoke about his efforts to urge Israeli technology firms to work in the Netherlands and encouraged them “to showcase Israeli agritechnology for the European public.”
Israel has made “green technologies” or what critics call “greenwashing” http://fwd4.me/04lU an integral part of its propaganda strategy to divert attention from human rights abuses.
Legislators surprised by “Dutch-Israel Cooperation Council”
To crown the strengthening of ties, Verhagen announced the inauguration of the Dutch-Israeli Cooperation Council — an initiative of Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal — by January 2012. http://fwd4.me/04lW
The Electronic Intifada asked Labor Party Member of Parliament Frans Timmermans to comment on the creation of the council.
Apparently Rosenthal had not informed the Dutch parliament, because Timmermans immediately requested Rosenthal to clarify his plans in parliament, a request that was turned down by the minister. Only when MP Alexander Pechtold of the D66 party seconded the request for information, did Rosenthal promise to deal with the issue in a few months.
Netherlands endorses Israeli position on refugees
Regarding the peace process, Verhagen laid out policies that were similar to those recently announced by US President Barack Obama http://fwd4.me/04lX . But on the question of refugees’ rights he went considerably further than Obama in openly endorsing Israel’s refusal to accept Palestinian refugees’ right to return home: http://fwd4.me/04lY
“Their large-scale return to Israel is not a realistic option as this would jeopardize the Jewish character of the State of Israel. It would also undermine the very reason of being of a Palestinian state. The refugees should be offered an acceptable settlement, including compensation for those who will not be able to go back.”
Strong criticisms
Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dries van Agt heavily criticized Verhagen for praising Israel as “a modern democracy founded on the rule of law.”
Such a democracy would “not violate international law,” van Agt told The Electronic Intifada, whereas the State of Israel repeatedly “ignores UN resolutions and disdains the International Court of Justice and the international treaties. Verhagen rejoices [at the sight] of even more intimate collaboration with Israel.”
Van Agt added “It seems it does not matter to him [Verhagen] that ‘his’ Israel continues its refusal to meet the demands of the EU like releasing the stranglehold on Gaza.”
The former Dutch prime minister — who has himself faced stinging criticism from pro-Israel groups for his support of Palestinian human rights — pointed out that Verhagen “pleads for the resumption of the peace process and talks piously about the two-state solution without a word about the ongoing colonization of Palestinian land. He even avoids the term ‘occupation’ when he speaks about the Palestinian territory. Instead of expressing fraternal warnings he smothers all Israel’s evil policies in hugs.”
Also reacting to the speech, United Civilians for Peace http://fwd4.me/04lZ chairperson Farah Karimi told The Electronic Intifada that her organization “welcomes the call on Israel to ensure that the occupied Palestinian territories will be opened for all humanitarian and economic goods, for commerce and exports.”
UCP is a coalition of the Dutch donor organizations ICCO http://fwd4.me/04lb , Cordaid and Oxfam-Novib, and peace organization IKV Pax Christi.
Karimi added “The ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel since 2007, refusing entry to the majority of humanitarian goods, is a breach of international humanitarian law, and in my view, simply morally unacceptable. But it can also contribute to further escalation of the conflict. The Palestinians have suffered enough; they have the same rights to a decent life, to a livelihood, to health care and education as any Israeli.”
Netherlands sets aside commitment to human rights
In October 2010, a right-wing minority government came to power with the support of the anti-Islamic Party for Freedom, known by its Dutch initials PVV. As part of its official policy statement, the new government agreed with the PVV to “further invest in the relationship with the State of Israel.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal made clear what this intention entailed when he threatened to cut the funding of the Dutch grant-giving organization ICCO for its support of The Electronic Intifada, citing its reporting on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. http://fwd4.me/04lc
Last year, Rosenthal told the Dutch-language daily newspaper De Volkskrant that the two pillars of his policy are stability and security. Human rights was “a third pillar, but you cannot always, constantly be concerned with human rights” (Rosenthal wil netwerk ambassades reorganiseren,” 12 December 2010). http://fwd4.me/04ld
Rosenthal’s lack of concern about human rights violations by Israel was painfully clear in a debate in parliament on 14 June. Previous Dutch governments joined the international community in condemning extrajudicial killings by Israel, but under questioning from opposition MPs, Rosenthal bluntly denied that Israel even carries out such killings (“Human rights no longer Dutch priority,” Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 15 June 2011). http://fwd4.me/04lf
Deputy Prime Minister Verhagen’s speech in Haifa indicates that willful blindness to Israel’s actions is now well-established policy.
Adri Nieuwhof is a consultant and human rights advocate based in Switzerland.
http://fwd4.me/04lQ
24 juni 2011
Mini Gaza Freedom Flotilla to Set Sail on Sunday
Utrecht - PNN – A Number of Dutch human rights and solidarity groups are organizing a mini flotilla in the canals of Utrecht, in the center of the country, to show support for the humanitarian aid Freedom Flotilla to set sail to Gaza later this month.
On Saturday 25th of June several boats with supporters of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla will pass through the canals of Utrecht, some of the supporters are Dutch celebrities and former politicians. The boats will be decorated with balloons in the colors of the Palestinian flag, banners and flags. A live music band will perform on one of the boats.
“With this action on Saturday we show our support for the departure of the Freedom Flotilla and we urge the Israeli authorities not to hinder or attack the passage through international waters to the Gaza strip.” Organizers said in their press release.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla will leave soon after the weekend with 12 boats of humanitarian aid, to break the four-year long Israeli siege on Gaza. The Dutch - Italian shared boat will carry the name 'Open Gaza - Stefano Chiarini' and has 13 Dutch participants.
Last year the Israel navy attacked the first freedom flotilla as it was sailing in international waters killing nine Turkish aid workers on the Turkish flagged ship Mavi Marmara.
Earlier in the month IHH, organizers of Mavi Marmara, announced that they will not be joining the flotilla because they could not fix Mavi Marmara in time since Israel damaged it last year.
In Israel the Israeli navy announced that they conducted a number of trainings to counter the flotilla; Turkey, once a major weapon buyer from Israel, severed ties with Israel after the attack on Mavi Marmara last year.
http://fwd4.me/04jN
26 juni 2011
Dutch Mini Flotilla Sail in Solidarity with Freedom Flotilla 2
Utrecht –PNN - Despite the rain a group of more than 50 Dutch and Palestinians joined the mini flotilla in the canals in Utrecht, a city in the heart of the Netherlands, to show their support for the departure of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla will leave soon after the weekend with 12 boats of humanitarian aid, to break the four-year long Israeli siege on Gaza. The Dutch - Italian shared boat will carry the name 'Open Gaza - Stefano Chiarini' and has 13 Dutch participants. The Dutch - Italian boat that will carry 12 people with the Dutch nationality is scheduled for Tuesday. Amongst the Dutch participants of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla are students, journalists, a member of the city council of Rotterdam, a professional photographer and a retired lawyer.
“The Dutch participants joined the flotilla to bring humanitarian aid and to break the illegal Israeli siege on Gaza” Organizers said in their press release. From their current location in Corfu (Greece) the participants of the flotilla have communicated that they want to bring hope for the people in Gaza and that there has to come an end to injustice and collective punishment by Israel.
The mini flotilla in the canals in Utrecht was received with much positive response from the audience. There were many thumbs up and supportive words. One of the organizers of the mini flotilla said: "The Dutch government is very pro Israel but the Dutch people are very critical towards the injustice that is being done to the Palestinian people. Israel has to end the occupation and the illegal blocakde of the Gazastrip. We want to be on the right side of history and we cannot allow our government to be on the wrong side any longer."
Last year the Israel navy attacked the first freedom flotilla as it was sailing in international waters killing nine Turkish aid workers on the Turkish flagged ship Mavi Marmara.
Earlier in the month IHH, organizers of Mavi Marmara, announced that they will not be joining the flotilla because they could not fix Mavi Marmara in time since Israel damaged it last year.
In Israel the Israeli navy announced that they conducted a number of trainings to counter the flotilla; Turkey, once a major weapon buyer from Israel, severed ties with Israel after the attack on Mavi Marmara last year.
http://fwd4.me/04vL 27 jun 2011, 07:20 , Respect -
Maria 27 juni 2011
Dutch MP calls to slash funding of anti-Israel NGOs
Positions of some groups ‘disgusting,’ says Johan Driessen.
BERLIN – A panel in the Dutch parliament earlier this month titled “To discuss the activity of NGOs in Israel and Palestine” has generated a heated debate among lawmakers and the heads of major Dutch NGOs about the legitimacy of boycotts targeting Israel and advocacy for a “one-state solution” for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Jerusalem Post obtained a transcript of the panel from an observer at the June 15 session in Holland’s parliament.
According to the transcript, leading Dutch humanitarian relief organizations defended boycott, divestment and sanctions actions against Israel, prompting Johan Driesen, from the Party for Freedom (PVV), to say, “It was the first time I sat down to talk with the directors of the aid groups and I found what they said not only surprising, but disgusting and I think the Dutch government should cut funding to organizations promoting this agenda.”
René Grotenhuis, director of the aid group Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid), said during the debate that “discussion over boycott of Israel in Palestine is justified.”
Henk Jan Ormel, from the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal party, said he was “very surprised” to hear from the director of the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) that he believes that “the two-state solution is not the basic assumption for peace.”
In response to a query asking why ICCO supports the website Electronic Intifada, Director Marinus Verweij termed it a “respected news source used by newspapers.”
The Dutch government funneled more than 120 million euros into ICCO in 2009, which has doled out funds to EI.
The Jerusalem-based watchdog NGO Monitor has stated that “EI Executive Director Ali Abunimah is a leader in delegitimization and demonization campaigns against Israel. In his travels and speaking engagements, facilitated by Electronic Intifada’s budget, he calls for a one-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, and routinely uses false apartheid rhetoric.”
In response to a question from Joël Stephanus Voordewind, head of the Christian Union party, who asked why groups were financing Palestinian groups publicly committed to promoting BDS activities against Israel, Grotenhuis defended BDS as “legitimate” because “it is important that people in Palestine look for ways to resist occupation, and it is a nonviolent way to do so.”
Cordaid will continue to receive 80m. euros from Dutch taxpayer monies until 2015.
However, the organization lost 42 percent of its government funds this year, and ICCO took a 55m. euro reduction this year.
According to a late December report in The Palestine News Network, Cordaid faced a drop in funds because of its “Palestinian connections.”
It is unclear if the Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal pulled the plug on considerable governmental funds for Cordaid and ICCO because of their anti-Israel activities. Yet Rosenthal told the Post in November that if ICCO is furnishing funds for EI “it will have a serious problem with me.”
Ronny Naftaniel,the executive director of the Haguebased Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), told the Post on Wednesday that “The directors of these organizations spend the Dutch taxpayer’s money contrary to the Dutch policy to strengthen the bond with Israel.”
Naftaniel added that this is an “ unacceptable result: The Netherlands invests simultaneously in Israel and in boycotting Israel.”
He continued, “The Dutch aid organizations are seeing their budgets cut because of this. The real victims here will not be the directors with their huge salaries, but Palestinians and people in Africa in need of assistance.”
Professor Gerald Steinberg, the head of NGO Monitor, told the Post on Thursday, “Until recently, most Dutch legislators and officials had little information on how NGOs involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict utilize Dutch funding.
“Some political advocacy NGOs abusing the rhetoric of human rights have significant impacts, but there are no mechanisms to hold NGOs accountable for their activities.
For example, Dutch funding for ICCO goes to groups such as Badil, Electronic Intifada, and CWP [Coalition of Women for Peace]. They promote pro- BDS and similar agendas which are in direct contradiction to Dutch government policy. An independent and detailed review of all NGO funding – both direct and indirect – is long overdue.”
Driesen asked Oxfam Novib at the panel why the charity provided funds to the Dutch NGO “Stop de Bezeting” (Stop the Occupation). He noted that the group’s founder, Greta Duisenberg, had participated in demonstrations calling for Jews to be gassed, and had declared “Intifada, Intifada!” The Dutch foreign ministry earmarked 131m. euros in 2009 for Oxfam Novib, which sponsors projects in developing countries.
Oxfam Novib’s Director, Farah Karimi, declined to specifically address its financial aid for “Stop de Bezeting.”
“The business we have come to discuss is of extreme importance to you and your party, and I find it a shame to sit and speak about the behavior of Greta Duisenberg,” said Karimi.
CIDI noted in a report last month that over the past three years the Dutch government has allocated at least 10m. euros to groups dedicated to promoting a boycott of Israel.
In response to CIDI’s report, Rosenthal told CIDI he will “intervene to block funding to groups promoting the BDS campaign.”
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=226702 http://fwd4.me/04xa http://fwd4.me/04xb 29 jun 2011, 09:33 , Respect -
Maria 29 juni 2011
Netherlands to ban animal slaughter
The House of Representatives of the Netherlands has passed a bill that bans religious slaughter of farm animals, though the Senate has yet to approve the bill.
The lower house approved the bill on Tuesday with 116 of the members in favor of the ban and only 30 against it, AP reported.
The bill, which bans the slaughter of livestock without stunning it first, will remove an earlier exemption that allowed Muslims and Jews to slaughter animals according to their beliefs.
However, the Senate must also pass the bill in order for it to become enacted.
If enforced, the Netherlands will be the second country after New Zealand to outlaw procedures that make meat halal for Muslims or kosher for Jews in recent years.
Switzerland, the Scandinavian and Baltic countries banned the procedures in pre-World War II era.
Dutch Deputy Secretary of Economic Affairs and Agriculture Henk Blekers said, "The Cabinet will give its judgment over the proposed law after it has been treated by both houses."
Meanwhile, Muslim and Jewish communities in the country have denounced the move, calling it an infringement on their right to religious freedom.
Around one million Muslims live in the Netherlands, mostly immigrants from Turkey and Morocco.
Halal means lawful or legal in Arabic and it is a term designating any object which is permissible to use or any action allowable according to Islamic law, applied commonly in reference to meat products, foodstuff, and pharmaceuticals.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/186699.html
30 juni 2011
Rabbi: Ritual slaughter ban aimed at Muslims
Jews in Holland fear ban will spread across Europe, but acknowledge Muslims are in same boat.
The Jewish community in the Netherlands is struggling to accept recent legislation banning ritual animal slaughter, fearing that the new bill will trigger a domino effect that will make kosher meat scarce all across Europe.
Dutch legislators ruled Tuesday that livestock must be stunned before being slaughtered, contrary to the Muslim halal and Jewish kosher laws that require animals to be fully conscious.
Rabbi Yitschok Huisman, who heads a Chabad branch in Amsterdam, told Ynet on Wednesday that Jews and Muslims are "in the same boat" when it comes to the ban.
"At this point, the step was mainly meant to hurt the Muslims," he said. "Many don't like them here. It's true that there are those who don't like us either, so it might have contributed to the measure as well."
He said that the views held by right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who was acquitted recently of hate speech and discrimination charges after making anti-Islam statements, are a case in point.
"While (Wilders) says that he loves Israel and Jews, his objection to Muslims has surpassed that (love)," he said. "He expressed support for the bill, claiming that there are dangerous violations in kosher slaughter."
While the Jewish community in Holland has devised ways to bypass the bill, there is fear that the kosher practice will soon be banned all across Europe.
"Right now it's a big problem for us, because we can slaughter meat according to the halacha outside of Holland, but there are concerns that all of Europe will follow suit with the kosher slaughter ban, and that the next step will ban the import of kosher meat into the country," Huisman said.
Illegal slaughter?
There are those whose livelihood has been threatened by the slaughter ban. Sami Bar-On, who left Israel 32 years ago, owns two restaurants and a grocery store in Amsterdam, all of which carry kosher meat.
"The Jewish community isn't going to give up, and if the law is passed in the upper house as well, they will turn to the European Court," he said. "I don't believe that the bill will pass. If Europe is a union, they cannot say 'yes' in one place and 'no' in another."
He said that the legislators who initiated the bill are basing it on the wrong studies. "The Party for the Animals, which holds only two parliament seats, claims that the animal suffers for two minutes with the other method, while with kosher slaughter the animal suffers for four minutes." Bar-On explained. "But the Jews proved that with the Jewish slaughter it isn't so, and it is timed at two minutes as well."
He added that the ruling came into play primarily because of the Muslim presence. "Geert Wilders voted for it only because of the Muslims," he said. "There are many Muslims here, and few Jews. The Muslims are already coming out against the parliament members who are in support, and I believe it will make a difference because they are a voting power here."
Bar-On said that the ban might lead to illegal slaughter – especially since the next step on the legislators' agenda is prohibiting kosher meat from being imported from Belgium and France.
"For the past few years we have not beeen allowed to slaughter poultry, so the butchers go to Belgium to do it," he said. "If this is forbidden next, what will we do?"
'Ban is hypocritical'
Meanwhile, the Israeli organization Anonymous for Animal Rights inveighed against the Dutch bill.
"Prohibiting kosher slaughter is hypocritical, because there is no such thing as mass slaughter on a conveyor belt," the animal rights advocacy group said, claiming that animal abuse begins long before the butchery phase.
"Chicks undergo genetic mutation for faster growth, are held in crowded cages soaked with ammonia, fed with antibiotics and starved for over 24 hours before the slaughter – the only day they get to see daylight is their last day alive, when they are violently piled into cages on freight trucks," the group said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4089379,00.html 17 jul 2011, 10:53 , Respect -
17 juli 2011
Dutch group slams bid offer to Israeli
A bus belonging to the Israeli public transport company Egged
A pro-Palestinian group in the Netherlands has protested a Dutch government decision to grant a bus service contract to an Israeli firm that backs Tel Aviv’s settlement expansions in the West Bank.
The Dutch group, Working Together for Palestine, lodged the complaint after the Israeli company, Egged, won a public tender to run bus services in Waterland, a region north of Amsterdam, at the end of 2011, Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported on its website on Saturday.
“Egged makes money from trampling on the rights of Palestinians,” Radio Netherlands Worldwide announced, quoting an activist with the pro-Palestinian group.
The Dutch activists say that the granting of the public contract to the Israeli company amounts to Amsterdam’s indirect support for Tel Aviv’s settlements policy in the West Bank.
The group stressed that it does not initiate a boycott of Egged services in Waterland for the sole reason that there is no other alternative bus service in the area.
An official of the Dutch FNV trade union federation, however, stated that some bus drivers have expressed concerns that they might become the target of outraged protesters seeking to vent their anger.
Earlier in July, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned acts of Islamophobia in the Netherlands and expressed concern over the hateful and provocative remarks made by a number of Dutch politicians against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
“Repeated cases of insult to individuals or their beliefs by people, organizations or radical groups, especially when supported by governments, are unacceptable and cause grave concern,” OIC foreign ministers said in a statement at a meeting in the Kazakh capital, Astana.
OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also issued a separate statement in which he condemned Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders for his insulting remarks against Islam, calling on the Dutch government to halt the Islamophobia campaign by the rightwing politician.
Ihsanoglu also warned that Amsterdam’s silence on the issue could endanger the country’s relations with the Muslim world.
http://fwd4.me/06ou 22 jul 2011, 00:55 , Respect -
Maria 21 juli 2011
Dutch unblock charity assets after Hamas accusation
Amsterdam court overturns government freeze on assets of charity accused of funneling funds to Palestinian militant group Hamas.
An Amsterdam court overturned on Thursday a government freeze on assets of a charity accused of funneling funds to Palestinian militant group Hamas, citing a lack of evidence.
In April the Netherlands froze the assets of Internationale Humanitaire Hulporganisatie (IHH) Nederland, accusing it of transferring money to a German affiliate which in turn provided financial support to Hamas.
But in its ruling on Thursday, the Amsterdam court said it found no evidence that IHH Nederland funds made their way to Hamas, either via the German branch of the group or through other organizations.
Last year, Germany banned IHH in the country for its support of Hamas. But a ruling by a German court last month suspended that ban on the basis that IHH Germany does not provide financial support to the Palestinian territories.
The German court ruling offered sufficient assurances that no funds from the German organisation ended up in the hands of Hamas, the Dutch court said on Thursday.
An IHH Nederland spokesman welcomed the ruling as "good news".
A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman had no immediate comment.
http://fwd4.me/07FG
Dutch unblock charity assets after Hamas accusation
An Amsterdam court overturned on Thursday a government freeze on assets of a charity accused of funneling funds to Palestinian militant group Hamas, citing a lack of evidence.
In April the Netherlands froze the assets of Internationale Humanitaire Hulporganisatie (IHH) Nederland, accusing it of transferring money to a German affiliate which in turn provided financial support to Hamas.
http://fwd4.me/07FF 9 sep 2011, 21:56 , Respect -
Maria 9 sept 2011
Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to dominate UN racism conference
UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) - A high-level UN meeting on racism, scheduled to take place later this month, looks set to be dominated by questions relating to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
Expressing fears that the meeting might turn out to be anti-Israel, several Western states, including Canada, Germany, the United States, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Australia, have indicated they will not participate.
The boycott is the result of an intense campaign by Israel, which has branded the meeting “anti-Semitic” even before it could get off the ground.
Still, an overwhelming majority of the UN’s 193 member states — along with dozens of human rights activists and organizations — are expected to actively participate in the meeting, scheduled to take place on 22 September during the 66th session of the UN’s General Assembly.
The Israeli government has objected to the meeting, which will mark the tenth anniversary of the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) on racism, primarily on the grounds that it may single out Israel for criticism for its discriminatory practices against Palestinians.
A mass pro-Israel rally against the high-level meeting and efforts by the Palestinian Authority to secure international recognition of a Palestinian state is to take place outside the United Nations on 21 September.
Joseph E. Macmanus, acting assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the US State Department, has said that the United States will not participate in what he called “the Durban Commemoration” meeting.
Last December, the US voted against the resolution establishing this event because “the Durban process included ugly displays of intolerance and anti-Semitism, and we did not want to see that commemorated,” he said.
Right-wing governments back Israel
Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies in the Department of History at Columbia University, said it is not surprising that Israel should have been supported by the governments of Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and the Czech Republic, all of them right-wing and all hostile to Palestinian aspirations, in opposing an effort to commemorate a landmark event in the global struggle against racism.
“The incessant effort to smear the Durban conference by Israel and its allies is intended to distract attention from the systematic legalized discrimination which is inherent not only in the 44-year old occupation of the territories seized in 1967, but also in Israel’s treatment of 20 percent of its own citizens who constitute the Arab minority,” he added.
The upcoming meeting, also called Durban III, is the third review conference of the Durban Declaration, the second (Durban II) being held in Geneva in 2009.
Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s deputy representative at its office at the United Nations, said, “We of course hope all governments will take part in Durban III and renew their efforts to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action [DDPA].”
She said true conviction in combating racism requires governments to be there, to stand up for what’s right, and to reject forcefully what’s objectionable.
“Governments need to demonstrate that, in spite of any political controversy around the commemoration, they’ll remain committed to combating racism, including commitment to the DDPA,” she declared.
Special hostility for Israel?
Chris Toensing, executive director and editor of the Washington-based Middle East Report, said that Israel’s objection, as usual, will be that Israel is singled out for criticism in the Durban Declaration in a way that smacks of special hostility for Israel among the drafters and, by extension, the UN General Assembly.
He said Israel will not dispute the specific charge in the declaration, namely that Palestinians are under “foreign occupation” and therefore are denied many basic national and human rights.
“So the objection is a diversionary tactic meant to shift attention away from Israel’s policies,” he said.
That said, he pointed out, it is true the declaration does not name another specific location of race-based discrimination in the contemporary world.
At the least, the drafters made a tactical error here, if their intent was to help the Palestinian cause, because Israel’s objection is technically sound, he added.
The Holocaust is the only specific example of genocide listed in the declaration, appearing after enslavement of Africans and colonialism as historical evils that the declaration seeks to redress.
“Though one might argue that the Holocaust, in scale and mechanisation, should indeed be considered sui generis, in the context of the declaration, the mention of the Holocaust appears to be an attempt to ‘balance’ the mention of Palestinian suffering,” said Toensing.
By the same token, he argued, it is not clear why anti-Semitism or Islamophobia should be given specific mention, when there are so many other specific types of racial-religious prejudice in today’s world.
In a letter to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Macmanus of the State Department said: “We share your concern about the Durban commemoration’s timing and venue as just days earlier, we will have held solemn ten-year memorials for those murdered in the September 11 terrorist attacks.”
In 2009, after working to try to achieve a positive, constructive outcome in the Durban Review Conference [Durban II], “we withdrew from participating because the conference reaffirmed the original 2001 Durban Declaration, which unfairly singled out Israel and included language inconsistent with US traditions of robust free speech.”
http://ht.ly/6qfeQ 16 sep 2011, 23:29 , Respect -
Maria 16 sept 2011
Dutch finalize veil ban legislation
LONDON: The Netherlands said on Friday that it has completed a draft bill to ban the full-face covering, or niqab, in public worn by a handful of Muslim women in the country.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the legislation would now be sent to the government’s legal advisory body before lawmakers would be able to vote on it. His office said that it could take months before a vote is actually had.
The government said in a statement Friday that the ban aims at “protecting the character and customs of public life in the Netherlands.”
Earlier this summer, Italy also drafted a bill to ban the veil and hopes to join France and Belgium as European countries barring women from wearing the garb.
France implemented the law in April of this year and Belgium followed in July, while the Italian parliament said it is looking into a bill than would ban the dress and plans to enforce a financial penalty on women who cover their face in public and a greater penalty for those who force women to wear such attire.
Women’s rights advocates have repeatedly criticized Europe for taking what they called “anti-women” policies while others say it is an other step in combating Islam in Europe.
There are no official numbers of how many women wear the dress in the two countries but rights organizations estimated to be only a few thousand.
http://bikyamasr.com/42488/dutch-finalize-veil-ban-legislation/
29 sept 2011
Rosenthal blokkeert oplossing Midden Oosten
De minister wekt sterk de indruk dat een constructieve houding tegenover de Palestijnen voor hem geen optie is.
De PvdA is teleurgesteld dat het kabinet een gezamenlijk EU-standpunt voor het Midden-Oosten blokkeert. De minister wekt sterk de indruk dat een constructieve houding tegenover de Palestijnen voor hem geen optie is. Die constructieve houding tegenover zowel Israël als de Palestijnen is nu net nodig om dichter bij een oplossing voor het conflict te komen.
De PvdA gelooft in een oplossing voor het conflict tussen Israël en de Palestijnen, waarin uiteindelijk zowel de Israëli’s als de Palestijnen hun eigen staat hebben en in vrede, veiligheid en voorspoed naast en met elkaar kunnen leven. Nederland en de EU zouden het Midden-Oosten Vredesproces moeten ondersteunen en haar goede banden richting zowel Israël als de Palestijnse Autoriteit moeten aanspreken om vrede en veiligheid in de regio dichterbij te brengen.
Geen enkel ander langjarig conflict drukt zo op de wereld als het Israelisch-Palestijns conflict. Dit conflict laat de Israelische bevolking in angst leven, het voorkomt dat Palestijnen krijgen waar zij recht op hebben, het helpt dictators in de regio hun bevolkingen onder de duim te houden, het gijzelt de oplossing voor een reeks internationale problemen en het heeft zijn weerslag in de binnenlandse verhoudingen in talloze landen, ook Nederland. Oplossing van dit conflict is dus niet alleen van zeer groot belang voor direct betrokken partijen, maar voor de hele wereldgemeenschap.
Bovendien is er nauwelijks een conflict denkbaar dat zo verlammend werkt op de geloofwaardigheid van de internationale gemeenschap, omdat er geen neutrale partijen lijken te zijn, omdat er over en weer verondersteld wordt dat men met twee maten meet, omdat men niet gelooft dat de andere partij en haar ondersteuners bereid zijn een eerlijke, op het recht gebaseerde oplossing te zoeken en te vinden. Deze blokkade van de minister legt opnieuw elke positieve ontwikkeling lam.
Vrede en stabiliteit zijn gediend met een doorbraak op korte termijn. Als de VS niet in een positie verkeert deze dichterbij te brengen, zou de EU zich hier sterk voor moeten maken. Maar dat kan alleen als de EU eensgezind is, de lidstaten zich niet binden aan een van beide partijen en zij bereid zijn hun eigen afzonderlijke rol ondergeschikt te maken aan het belang van iedereen. Aan geen van deze drie voorwaarden wordt voldaan, zodat het risico groot is dat ook de EU de kans laat lopen het proces vlot te trekken en duurzame vrede naderbij te brengen. Met deze stap staat Nederland een oplossing voor het Midden-Oosten in de weg. Dat is de PvdA een doorn in het oog.
http://fwd4.me/0Cyf 4 oct 2011, 12:21 , Respect -
Maria 30 sept 2011
Minister Rosenthal is niet ónze volksvertegenwoordiger
Uri Rosenthal en de door de Palestinse Autoriteit benoemde premier Salam Fayyad, februari 2011
Wederom bewijst onze minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Uri Rosenthal dat hij in het buitenland geen Nederlandse standpunten uitdraagt en verdedigt. Middels een last minute opdracht aan zijn diplomaat saboteerde hij afgelopen woensdag een gezamenlijke EU-verklaring voor in de VN-Mensenrechtenraad.
In februari dit jaar verzocht Rosenthal de VN persoonlijk om zomaar even resoluties tegen Israël te schrappen. Waar het in de regel op neerkomt is dat onze zogeheten volksvertegenwoordiger aangeeft dat het (internationaal) recht niet tot vrede tussen Israël en de Palestijnen leidt. Afgezien van het feit dat dit niet een Nederlandse standpunt is, is het ook een uitgesproken fascistisch standpunt.
Zoals alle zionisten en filosemieten bepleit Rosenthal een 'deal' tussen crimineel en slachtoffer, terwijl de crimineel van hen ondertussen gewoon door mag gaan met oorlogsmisdaden en mensenrechtenschendingen. Decennia lang.
Der Spiegel:
[Rosenthal] instructed his diplomats in Geneva to strike a number of formulations from the statement, among them numerous references to a "two-state solution" -- that is, the foundation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The foreign minister also didn't want any mention of Israel's arrests of peacefully demonstrating human rights activists or their destruction of homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that forced the affected Palestinians to resettle elsewhere.
And this despite the fact that a report for the UN Human Rights Council confirms that the Israeli government has increased orders for the destruction of homes since the beginning of the year. According to the report, some 387 buildings have been destroyed since January, among them 140 residential buildings, turning out 755 Palestinians. Furthermore, more Palestinians have been displaced in the first half of 2011 than all of last year, the report adds.
The changes from The Hague were not well-received by the other European diplomats. Though some had been prepared to negotiate individual questions such as the Israeli arrests of demonstrators, the refusal to acknowledge a need for a two-state solution -- already a key European position for years -- went too far.
NRC:
De afgevaardigde, die tijdens de vergadering persoonlijk per iPhone door zijn hoogste baas Rosenthal zou zijn geïnstrueerd, heeft volgens Der Spiegel plotseling aangegeven dat Nederland zich niet achter de verklaring kan scharen. Nederland zou niet gelukkig zijn met bepaalde formuleringen uit de verklaring, zoals het veelvuldig noemen van de “tweestatenoplossing”.
Ook zou Rosenthal willen dat er in de verklaring geen melding werd gemaakt van de arrestatie door Israël van vreedzaam demonstrerende mensenrechtenactivisten. Ten slotte zou ook de vernietiging van Palestijnse huizen in Oost-Jeruzalem en op de Westoever van Rosenthal niet mogen worden genoemd.
Geen oppositie
Een ernstige zaak dus, die om actie vraagt. En wat doen onzeoppositiepartijen? Frans Timmermans van de PvdA schrijft in een column op Joop.nl dat de PvdA "teleurgesteld" is. En D66 noemt het "geen constructieve houding". Beide partijen hebben om "opheldering" gevraagd. GroenLinks noemt het "onbegrijpelijk". En dat was het dan.
Het typeert de slappe en laffe houding van onze zogeheten oppositie in deze zaak. Het is ook niet verwonderlijk dat Guido van Leemput, fractiemedewerker van de SP, mij ooit mailde dat, als excuus voor het gebrek aan oppositie, "dat Israël in de Nederlandse politiek zowat heilig" is.
Jesse Klaver van GroenLinks mailde me dat GroenLinks altijd "een veel kritischer opstelling t.o.v. Israel" bij de regering bepleit, maar dat er "in de Tweede Kamer geen meerderheid te vinden is". "Kort gezegd is de kous daarmee af. Het enige dat wij dan nog kunnen doen is aandacht vragen voor de problematiek en zelf een genuanceerd standpunt uitdragen waarin niet wordt beschuldigd".
Lees ook In whose name does Dutch FM Rosenthal speak? en meer op dit weblog.
http://eindpunt.blogspot.com/2011/09/minister-rosenthal-is-niet-onze.html
8 oct 2011
Jacob Israel de Haan 1924 (HD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASnzDZOE1Ec -
Maria 13 oct 2011
Al-Haq Submits Formal Objection to Dutch Contract to Hermes
RAMALLAH, (WAFA) – The human rights group, Al-Haq, has instructed Van den Biesen Boesveld advocates, Amsterdam, to submit a formal objection against the decision of Stadsregio Arnhem Nijmegen, a Dutch local authority, to award a one billion Euro public transport concession to Hermes, the Dutch subsidiary of French multinational company VeoliaTransdev, according to a press release issued Thursday.
The objection is based on Veolia’s involvement in Israel’s violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
The Dutch civil society organizations, Palestine Committee Nijmegen (also representing the Network Working Together for Palestine) and United Civilians for Peace (UCP) together with A Different Jewish Voice, have taken similar initiatives to challenge the decision. A hearing of the Committee that decides the objection will be held on 31 October 2011.
VeoliaTransdev, as part of the Veolia group, is involved in the construction of a light rail tramway linking West Jerusalem to settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law. Such infrastructure helps entrench Israel’s illegal annexation of East Jerusalem. Other companies within the Veolia group provide transport and services such as refuse collection to illegal Israeli settlements in other parts of the West Bank.
Commenting on the issue, Shawan Jabarin, director of al-Haq, said that the decision to award a contract to Hermes is tantamount to awarding a contract to the Veolia Group as a whole.
'Given the important role played by the Veolia Group in the on-going violation of international law in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, one would have expected Stadsregio Arnhem Nijmegen to have exercised its discretion to award the contract to a firm that does not provide crucial infrastructural support for the continual violations of international law by Israel,” he said.
The case is part of Al-Haq’s on-going efforts to ensure accountability for the many corporations that are involved in violations of international law in the OPT, and to enforce the legal duty that exists on third States to refrain from rendering assistance to Israel’s violations of international law.
Al-Haq looks forward to the Committee’s hearing of the formal objection and calls on the Committee to revoke the decision to award the contract to Hermes.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=17756 13 nov 2011, 13:28 , Respect -
Maria 13 nov 2011
Watch: Gaza in Holland
(4:20) Stryder&Gaza ft. De Mark - Ogen Open 2 x viewed
De Mark - Bestempeld
(5:23) De Mark - Bestempeld (www.Camprauw.nl)
[email protected] 28 nov 2011, 12:01 , Respect -
Maria 28 nov 2011
Palestinian politician hospitalized in Netherlands
RAMALLAH, West Bank: An aide says senior Palestinian politician Nabil Shaath is undergoing tests at a Dutch hospital after suffering an apparent heart attack at the Amsterdam airport.
Hussam Zumlot says the 73-year-old Shaath was on a tour with a packed schedule when he fell ill on Sunday.
Zumlot says Shaath was stable on Monday and undergoing tests at the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam. Officials there had no comment.
Shaath is a veteran negotiator with Israel and a prominent official in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
He travels frequently and has played a key role in seeking international recognition for a Palestinian state.
Zumlot says Sunday's episode came after Shaath had boarded six aircraft in four days.
http://fwd4.me/0hag 29 nov 2011, 17:58 , Respect -
Maria 29 nov 2011
Netherlands Welcomes First Truckloads of Strawberries from Gaza
RAMALLAH, November 29, 2011 (WAFA) – The Dutch Representative to the Palestinian Authority, Birgitta Tazelaar, Tuesday, welcomed the shipment of the first two truckloads carrying 2.6 tons of strawberries from Gaza which successfully crossed the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to a press release issued by the Netherlands Representative Office.
The strawberries, which meet the highest international quality standards, are destined to be shipped from Israeli ports to various European countries.
“I am very pleased to see that this season’s first shipment of strawberries has left Gaza”, said Tazelaar.
“The farmers, together with the staff of the Agricultural Development Association (PARC), have worked very hard to make this season a big success. It is therefore very encouraging to see that the Israeli authorities have decided to allow the export of strawberries, carnations and bell peppers also for the upcoming season to the EuropeanMarket,” he added.
Currently, preparations are underway to get the approval to export cherry tomatoes as well.
She added that “after several years of exporting these crops to Europe, now is the time for the Gaza strawberries to also reach the markets of Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah. The Dutch government therefore encourages all Palestinian and Israeli stakeholders to do their utmost to make the transit of strawberries from Gaza to the West Bank a reality this season”.
The transfer of strawberries from Gaza to the West Bank fits within a wider context of broadening the opportunities for Gazan businesses to develop and export their products, which is a priority for both the Palestinian Authority as well as the international community. The establishment of linkages between the Gaza and West Bank economies is at the very heart of these efforts.
The Dutch government has supported the Gazan flower, strawberry and vegetables farmers since 2006.
The financial support has been complemented by continuous diplomatic efforts, which helped to safeguard the cash crops sector, which represents an important pillar for the Gaza Strip’s economic future.
For the current season, a programme to plant 182 dunums for carnations, seven dunums for new flower varieties, 350 dunums of strawberries, 27 dunums of sweet peppers and 25 dunums of cherry tomatoes is supported with a $2.1 million.
This is expected to yield a harvest for export of about 17,000,000 stems of flowers -- mainly carnations -- 600 tons of strawberries, 370 tons of bell peppers, and 160 tons of cherry tomatoes. The harvest entails a total volume of approximately 600 truckloads.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=18180
Single truckload of strawberries leaves Gaza
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- One truckload of strawberries left the Gaza Strip on Tuesday for export to Europe, crossings officials said.
Farmers in Gaza started to export limited amounts of produce to Europe via the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday, said crossings liaison officer Raed Fattouh.
The strawberries and carnations were the first produce to leave the coastal enclave in six months due to an Israeli ban on exports which has crippled the Gaza economy.
The agricultural goods are exported under an agreement between Israel and the Dutch government to allow five trucks of farm produce to leave Gaza each day.
The Israeli legal rights organization Gisha notes that if Israel fully implements the agreement, the exports represent just 1 percent of the exports Israel agreed to in 2005.
Under the 2005 agreement, Israel pledged to allow 400 trucks of Gaza produce to be exported every day.
"This exception to the ban is helpful for select growers, but it fails to address the manufacturing shut-down and massive unemployment caused by the export ban," Gisha said in a statement released Monday.
Before 2007, 85 percent of Gazan produce was sold to Israel or the West Bank, Gisha said, adding that exporting to Europe was expensive due to high shipping costs and low demand.
Gaza farmer Monthar al-Boudi told Gisha he exported 1,500 tons of strawberries annually before Israel banned exports from Gaza to Israel and the West Bank in 2007.
In 2010, al-Boudi was only allowed to sell seven tons of strawberries to Europe.
Gisha director Sari Bashi said: "It is not clear how preventing producers in Gaza from selling eggplants, school desks, and oranges to the West Bank enhances Israeli security, but the ban is clearly harming Palestinians trying to engage in productive, dignified work."
http://fwd4.me/0hgk 3 dec 2011, 13:16 , Respect -
Maria 3 dec 2011
Netherland: The purpose of banning Halal meat-Islam & Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWWhVBot0vM
A vote was passed in April this year on bill banning slaughter of meat by Halal and kosher methods in Netherlands.
The bill has passed through the Dutch parliament in June, despite opposition from Muslim and Jewish groups.
The new ban requires that livestock must be stunned before being killed, contrary to the Muslim and Jewish "ritual slaughter" customs that require animals to be fully conscious.
In this edition of the show we ask the following question: Netherlands: What is the purpose of banning Halal meat?