Foreign Minister Resigns Over Gaza Genocide Response
On 22 August, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned after failing to win cabinet approval for stronger sanctions on Israel, citing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and expanding settlements in the West Bank. A member of the New Social Contract (NSC) party and former ambassador to Israel, Veldkamp said he could no longer “implement policy myself and chart the course I deem necessary.”
He had advocated for measures including travel bans on far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, revoking export permits for naval components, and pushing the EU to suspend its trade agreement with Israel. His initiatives met repeated resistance within the cabinet.
NSC Ministers Exit in Solidarity
The day after Veldkamp’s resignation, all NSC ministers and state secretaries also quit the caretaker government.
Their departures included the acting deputy prime minister, the health minister, and ministers for education and the interior. Senior MP Eddy van Hijum declared, “In short we are done with it,” and condemned Israel’s actions as incompatible with international law.
The mass walkout left the Netherlands’ caretaker administration severely weakened. The government had already collapsed on 3 June 2025, when far-right leader Geert Wilders withdrew from the coalition over immigration policy. Elections are scheduled for October 2025, though coalition negotiations may stretch for months.
Mounting Pressure Amid Gaza Crisis
Veldkamp’s resignation came as opposition lawmakers and protesters demanded tougher measures against the genocide in Gaza. Dutch media reported that the parliament repeatedly delayed debates on sanctions, frustrating many legislators.
Green Left/Labor MP Kati Piri denounced the government’s inaction, saying, “There’s a famine, ethnic cleansing, and genocide going on. And our cabinet has been deliberating for hours about whether to take any action at all. Shameful.”
International monitors confirmed on 22 August that famine had officially taken hold in Gaza City. Israel killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since they began the genocide in October 2023, while mass displacement and starvation continue to spread.
European Divisions and Dutch Policy
Although the Netherlands joined 20 other states in condemning Israel’s settlement expansion earlier in August, it continues to allow its ports to facilitate shipments of F-35 fighter jet components, later used in Israeli strikes on Gaza.
Veldkamp had pressed for unilateral Dutch sanctions when Germany blocked broader EU measures, but the cabinet repeatedly sidelined his calls. His departure highlighted deep rifts within European politics over how to confront Israel’s actions.
David van Weel Appointed as Successor
On 2 September 2025, the caretaker government named David van Weel of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) as the new foreign minister. Prior to becoming NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg’s assistant, Van Weel was an adviser to former Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The cabinet reshuffle also reassigned key posts: Foort van Oosten took over Justice and Security, Jan Anthonie Bruijn became health minister, and Mariëlle Paul accepted a promotion to minister of Social Affairs. VVD politicians filled the additional state secretary positions, which restored balance after the NSC’s mass resignation.
Political Turmoil Ahead
The reshuffle stabilizes the caretaker government in the short term but does not resolve growing divisions within Dutch politics. It is important to note that by the time the party exited, the Dutch cabinet was already in a demissionary state.
With elections looming in October, debates over Gaza and Europe’s stance toward Israel are set to remain at the center of the political agenda.
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