Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned after his government blocked tougher measures against Israel, deepening an unprecedented rift in Netherlands-Israel ties.
Dutch politics was thrown into turmoil on Friday as Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp abruptly resigned, citing his government’s refusal to adopt stronger punitive measures against Israel.
The decision followed a heated cabinet meeting that ended in deadlock over sanctions. “I see that I am insufficiently able to take meaningful additional measures to increase pressure on Israel,” Veldkamp admitted to ANP, adding that his role had become untenable.
Veldkamp had been one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel in recent weeks. Last month, he declared Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich unwelcome in the Netherlands, while on Thursday he demanded further steps to punish Israel—only to acknowledge he lacked the political backing to deliver.
Although his proposals were “seriously discussed,” cabinet resistance left him feeling “constrained in setting the course I consider necessary as foreign minister.”
The resignation underscores the Netherlands’ increasingly confrontational stance. Just weeks earlier, Dutch intelligence for the first time labeled Israel a “direct security threat.” Prime Minister Dick Schoof also suggested suspending Israel’s participation in the Horizon European research program, sparking a diplomatic row with President Isaac Herzog, who called the move a “huge mistake.”
Tensions peaked this week when the Netherlands joined 20 other European states in condemning Israel’s approval of construction in the controversial E1 corridor east of Jerusalem.
Veldkamp’s dramatic exit signals not only a cabinet split but also a seismic shift in Dutch foreign policy—placing The Hague at the forefront of Europe’s most aggressive critics of Israel.
