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Dutch PM Balkenende does not condemn Israel
The Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Israel could not be condemned as long as Hamas was firing rockets. He calls for a truce between the parties but added that such a truces can only be obtained after Hamas and other Palestinian groups stopped firing rockets towards Israel.
The Dutch governement is deeply divided though as the Social Democratic party of vice-prime minister and minister of Finance Wouter Bos demanded that minister of foreign affairs mr. Verhagen (Christian Democrats) condemned the Israeli attacks, as the Social Democrats are pro-Palestinians whereas Balkenende's Christian Democrats and the minor coalition party Christian Union are pro-Israel.
Last weekend civil groups demonstrated in Amsterdam against the war in Gazastrip, a large part of the Dutch population is against the Israeli war. However they disagree with Hamas action to start firing rockets on Israel after the six months truce
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 05:47 on January 5th, 2009
Thank you for posting this news from the Netherlands. Well it is a difficult political setting and a humanitarian disaster.
at 06:05 on January 5th, 2009
You're welcome
the official position is mostly the position of the PM and minister of foreign affairs!
It is difficult indeed to abstain from taking sides. However, our christians dominated government mostly supports the Israelis