NGOs sue the Netherlands over support for Israel

Photo: Dutch News

Nine NGOs are backing a lawsuit against the Dutch state, demanding the government stop weapons exports to Israel and cut trade with the occupied territories.

The complaint, filed on Tuesday at The Hague District Court, claims the Netherlands is violating international law by continuing to support Israel as the death toll from the war in Gaza continues to rise.

“The Netherlands has not just a legal obligation but a moral on,” lawyer Wout Albers, who is representing the group, said in announcing the filing.

Al-Haq, Al Mezan, Een Ander Joods Geluid (EAJG), the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Groningen Jabalya, SOMO, Stichting Kifaia, Nederlands Palestina Komitee, and Stichting Palestina are supporting the case.

According to Albers, the Dutch are violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, which requires countries to “prevent and punish genocide.”

Earlier this year, the top court of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and let humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

The Dutch Supreme Court held hearings in a seperate case in September over whether the Netherlands must stop the export of fighter jet parts to Israel.

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