Long considered to be one of Israel’s foremost allies in Europe, public opinion in the Netherlands is changing. Αs more and more Dutch citizens distance themselves from the Israeli government’s policies and condemn its actions in Gaza as disproportionate and criminal.
The same applies to parliamentary debate where rising social pressure is forcing authorities in The Hague to take a more forthright position compared to just a few years ago, when mainstream politicians avowed “unconditional support” for Israel. Today, criticism is more likely and not only from parties of the left like the SP (Socialist Party), PvdD (Animal Party), or GL-PvdA (Green Left-Labour Party), but also from centrists and conservatives.
An April survey by Ipsos I&O showed only 15% of Dutch people support the government’s current position regarding Israel, with up to 27% strongly opposed. Overall support for Israel has fallen by half since October 2023. A study commissioned by Amnesty International, PAX and other NGOs, reveals that some 48% of Dutch citizens believe that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The word “genocide” now appears regularly in public debates and in mainstream media.
Commenting on the data, a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said the Netherlands “does not currently view the situation in Gaza as genocide” yet did not rule out possible support for international investigations such as one under the auspices of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Opinion polls into how the state of Israel is viewed underscore the changing public mood in the Netherlands. For example, according to a Pew Research study, 78% of Dutch people view Israel in negative terms, a finding that makes the Netherlands Europe’s most critical country when it comes to Israel. By comparison, in Germany and the United Kingdom, 64% and 61% of respondents, respectively, registered disapproval.
All of this means that Dutch society is increasingly demanding that its government take a firm stance. In the EenVandaag poll, 62% of those surveyed indicated support for a more critical response to Israeli policies, even if this should entail suspension of economic or military cooperation.
The switch in public sentiment is also having an impact on parliamentary debate, where more and more parties are pushing for a tougher government stance on Israel. Derk Boswijk, a centre-right CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) MP, recently urged the authorities to immediately suspend the EU’s association agreement with Israel. He maintained that “the right to self-defence is not unlimited and Israel’s actions are counterproductive in the long term.”
In an RTL Nieuwspanel survey, 66% of respondents expressed their belief that the Dutch government should react more decisively to Israeli human rights violations. Even supporters of the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) are divided on the issue, with 47% wanting the government to criticise Israeli army actions more clearly. Citing possible violations of international humanitarian law, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced that the Netherlands would support a possible suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement.
According to data collected by Amnesty International and its partners, up to 51% of the Dutch people would like to see a complete ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, with 43% of respondents believing that the Netherlands should impose economic sanctions on Israel if it does not stop building and expanding illegal settlements.
Public acceptance of military cooperation with Israel is also decreasing: 50% of respondents want an end to arms exports to Israel, with 46% demanding a halt to imports of Israeli weapons, while 54% contend that Israeli military personnel visiting the Netherlands should be subject to mandatory verification for possible war crimes.
Public pressure on authorities to take action against Israel is growing across the EU. Protests calling for sanctions are being organised in Germany and Spain, while in Belgium the Brussels-Capital Region has officially recognised Israeli actions in Gaza as a possible war crime.
For example, Dutch politicians are pointing out that if Russia is being held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine, the same criteria should apply to other countries. Such a change in the social and political mood could affect not only The Hague’s relations with Jerusalem, but also its ties with the U.S., given that Washington is Israel’s main ally. However, Dutch diplomats currently insist that an approach based on international law and human rights offers a better chance of winning long-term support in Europe.
PVV politicians in the previous government of Prime Minister Dick Schoof, especially party leader Geert Wilders, attacked the foreign minister for “betraying Western values” and for “populist pandering to public opinion.” Yet, according to the EenVandaag survey, as many as 31% of PVV voters favoured taking a more critical approach to Israel, which suggests there is a growing rift between the party’s ideology and its electorate. In the debate that followed the government’s resignation, the leader of the far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD), Thierry Baudet, attributed the PVV’s exit from the coalition to the government having become increasingly critical of Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Amnesty International, PAX, The Rights Forum, and Save the Children have been conducting information campaigns, press conferences, and public protests for months. In May 2025, a nationwide “Red Line” campaign was organised in The Hague, in which tens of thousands participated and demanded a “clear line”. It was the largest demonstration in the country in 20 years. “The Netherlands cannot hide behind neutrality if it declares compliance with international law. Silence means complicity”, said Rolien Sasse of PAX during the demonstration.
