We’re suing the Dutch State for failing to prevent genocide in Gaza and ensure Israel respects international law!
A coalition of Palestinian and Dutch civil society organisations are suing the Dutch state for failing to prevent genocide in Gaza and other Israeli violations of international law. The coalition’s main requests to the Dutch civil court include a ban on the export and transit of weapons, weapon parts, and dual-use items to Israel as well as a ban on all Dutch trade and investment relations that help maintain Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
The Genocide Convention, to which the Netherlands is a party, obliges signatories to prevent the crime of genocide from taking place. However, the Netherlands, consistently positioning itself as a political ally of Israel, has failed to act to prevent genocide.
In February 2024, the Dutch Court of Appeal ruled that there is a clear risk of serious violations of international humanitarian law being committed by Israeli forces in Gaza. In the same month, UN experts warned that any transfer of weapons to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and should cease. Despite this, the Netherlands continues to be involved in the supply of weapon parts and dual-use items to Israel. In addition, even though the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested the issuance of arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, the Netherlands has sent top-level military delegations to meet with the Israeli army and invited Israel’s president to the Netherlands.
The filing argues that the Netherlands must ban all export and transfer of arms (parts) and dual-use goods to Israel - and push other states to do the same.
This historical case is not limited to the Dutch state’s inaction in light of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza. The legal filing also challenges the woefully inadequate policy of the Netherlands when it comes to Israel’s structural violations of international law - since long before October 2023 - in both Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must end and all States have the obligation to prevent and abstain from economic dealings that assist Israel’s unlawful policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The court case seeks to bring an end to Dutch trade and investment relations that help maintain the illegal occupation, racial segregation, and colonisation through settlements.
Read more about the case in our joint Press Release
OUR GOAL: make sure the Dutch judicial system enforces the legal obligations the Dutch state has committed to by imposing a ban on the export and transit of weapon parts and dual-use items to Israel as well as a ban on all Dutch trade and investment relations that help maintain Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
OUR ASK: Major cases like these come with hefty expenses! We are calling on supporters like you to join us in this fight for justice! We need 60,000 euros to cover the costs. These funds will be used to cover lawyers’ fees and court fees of the initial stage and any consequent appeals. Making a on-off or recurring donation can go a long way in helping us win this case here.
In case the donations exceed the total amount needed for this case, the donations will be used for other projects of strategic litigation against European actors involved in violations of international law committed in Palestine.
Your donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in supporting our efforts to hold the Dutch state accountable for violating its Genocide Convention obligations and contributing to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Spreading the word on social media, and within your networks and WhatsApp groups will also massively help amplify our message and garner more support for the case!
“The Palestinian people have been suffering from Israel’s violations of international law since long before 7 October 2023. However, our oppression has reached unprecedented levels in the past year. People in Gaza have been the victim of a genocidal assault that does not appear to end anytime soon while, in the rest of Palestine, Israel is doubling down on its policies of colonisation, apartheid, and subjugation. The Netherlands is aware of this, but it continues to support Israel politically, economically, and militarily, at the cost of the rights of Palestinians.”
Issam Younis from Al Mezan, one of the organisations co-filing the case
Who are we?
Our broad coalition consist of Palestinian organisations Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and Netherlands-based organisations Een Ander Joods Geluid (EAJG), the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Groningen Jabalya, SOMO, Stichting Kifaia, Nederlands Palestina Komitee and Stichting Palestina. We are represented by lawyers from Global Justice Association in their proceedings before the court.
Our case is also supported by Dutch collective Erev Rav and Plant een Olijfboom.