Dutch support for Israel eroding
VTR
By Michel Hoebink
13-05-2008
The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that support Israel. Since
1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still admire Israel as a nation,
but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
Israel and the NetherlandsPerhaps the Dutch have a guilty conscience. During World War Two, the
Nazis deported about 100,000 Dutch Jews, meeting little resistance from the non-Jewish
population. This may be one reason why the Netherlands has always had more sympathy for Israel
than most other European countries.
During and after the 1967 Six Day War, Dutch support for Israel was almost unanimous. Secondary
school pupils sang the battle songs of the Israeli army and many Dutch cars sported bumper
stickers that read 'We support Israel'.
David and Goliath
Dutch Christians upheld the concept of Israel as the 'Holy Land'. The more progressive, secular
Dutch population saw Israel as a small, enlightened nation that brought European ideals of
socialism and democracy to a 'backwards' Middle East. Hundreds of idealistic Dutch youths
traveled to Israel to work on the collective farms, the Kibbutzim.
The wars of 1967 and 1973 confirmed the Dutch perception of the Israelis as the underdogs. The
small nation fighting the armies of the surrounding Arab countries was compared to the biblical
hero David who defeated the giant Goliath. The plight of the Palestinians was ignored.
Middle East expert Bertus Hendriks remembers how difficult it was in those days to express a
balanced viewpoint including a Palestinian perspective. He was the president of the General
Students' Union of Amsterdam (ASVA), which supported Israel's right to exist in peace and
security. But it also criticized the one-sided approach to the conflict which was so pervasive
in the Netherlands at that time. The union also disputed anti-Arab rhetoric, says Hendriks.
"This standpoint brought us strong condemnations from all sides."
Massacres
Dutch public opinion began to change during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Palestinian
terrorist attacks in the preceding years had only boosted sympathy for Israel, but Israeli air
strikes on Palestinian civilians and Israel's indirect involvement in the massacres at the
Sabra and Shatila refugee camps met with condemnation. Israel went from victim to perpetrator.
According to political scientist Fred Grünfeld, who wrote a book on Dutch perceptions of
Israel, public opinion grew ambivalent after 1982.
"On the one hand, the basic attitude is pro-Israel, but at the same time there is a growing
irritation with Israeli policies."
From 1982, the idealized image of Israel became tarnished, explains Bertus Hendriks.
"The first intifada played a prominent role in this process. The Israeli military firing at
stone-throwing Palestinian youths; Prime Minister Rabin vowing to 'break the bones' of the
stone-throwers."
The allegory of David and Goliath was reversed in favour of the Palestinians, says Hendriks.
"A helpless people fighting their oppressor with stones. That image lent an enormous legitimacy
to the Palestinian cause in Dutch public opinion."
After the Oslo agreements of 1993, Dutch development workers traveled to the occupied
territories and came back with stories about the daily life of the Palestinians.
"They saw the harassments, the illegal expansion of Jewish settlements. The image of liberal
occupation, carefully projected by Israel, was further undermined."
Support fades
The emergence of the fundamentalist Hamas movement and a wave of suicide attacks against Israel
did not help the Palestinian cause in the Netherlands. All the more because these developments
coincided with the global tension between the Islam and the West after 9/11. But according to
Bertus Hendriks, sympathy for Israel continued to erode.
Until today, however, Dutch governments have always stuck to their pro-Israeli stance. The
present coalition of Christian Democrats and Labour supports the Israeli boycott of Hamas as a
partner in peace negotiations. Speaking in January this year, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen,
a Christian Democrat, blamed Hamas for the crisis in Gaza. But Dutch Development Minister Bert
Koenders, from the Labour Party, caused commotion by calling the Israeli blockade of Gaza a
"collective punishment and a transgression of international law". With this statement, Koenders
expressed a growing call within his party to take a firmer stand towards Israel.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/080513-netherlands-israel-mc
RearGunner
> The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that support Israel. Since
> 1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still admire Israel as a nation,
> but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
--
The Urban Dictionary defines as number 2 a reargunner as
An accessory to the more commonly known "wing man," the rear gunner's
job is to provide even more assistance to the lead and the wing men. The
reargunner's job is to hurl insults and other harmful comments about
the physical traits or mental insecurities of anyone and everyone that
tries to approach either of his buddies. The reargunner is a necessity
for serious pick up situations, a job to be entrusted to a true friend
and serious **** talker.
Benjamin
Thank God they are. The whole free world should turn anti-Muslim, as
should Russia and China to crush once and for all that barbaric Middle
Eastern faith.
ElParedon
cannot stand the likes of you!
Avenger
"Emil Tiades" <emilt...@marathon.org> wrote in message
news:g0haf7$r8$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
>
> On Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:03 -0500, VTR a well known idiot
> <vexj...@gmx.us> trolled again:
>
>
>>
>>The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that
>>support Israel. Since
>>1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still admire
>>Israel as a nation,
>>but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
>
> "palestinians"????
> What's that?
> Who were their rulers
They ruled themselves.
between 500 AD and 1800 AD? Can you name 2 of
> them?
>
> [xpost list severely trimmed]
Avenger
"Benjamin" <galazzo....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d75e6858-79d0-4fcb...@b64g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> On 15 mai, 12:02, RearGunner <RearGun...@NOSPAM.COM> wrote:
>> The Dutch are turning dramatically anti Muslim now.
>>
>> > The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that
>> > support Israel. Since
>> > 1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still
>> > admire Israel as a nation,
>> > but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
>>
>> --
>> The Urban Dictionary defines as number 2 a reargunner as
The pivot man in a circle jerk.
>>
>> >
> Thank God they are. The whole free world should turn anti-Muslim, as
> should Russia and China to crush once and for all that barbaric Middle
> Eastern faith.
Include the jews in that category too. Only the Christians were modern and
civilised which is why it is the number 1 religion on earth.. You want to
compare the New Testament to the Talmud, Torah or Koran? lol
fla...@verizon.net
On 15-May-2008, Emil Tiades <emilt...@marathon.org> wrote:
> On Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:03 -0500, VTR a well known idiot
> <vexj...@gmx.us> trolled again:
>
>
> >
> >The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that
> >support Israel. Since
> >1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still
> >admire Israel as a nation,
> >but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
> <snip>
>
> "palestinians"????
> What's that?
> Who were their rulers between 500 AD and 1800 AD? Can you name 2 of
> them?
Oh, please - don't overtax them!
They can just answer this: who was the Palestinian ruler in 1900?
Susan
>
> [xpost list severely trimmed]
Gary Renzetti
accurate.
Saying that, disdain for radical Islam has sfa to do with disdain for
Ersatz "isr-el"® and its brutal oppression of the Palestinians and their
Apartheid, racist entity. Once the Dutch got out of the "European
colonial empire" mindset, they became a pretty decent, moral (albeit
cowardly - remember how they abandoned Rwanda!) bunch. There is much the
izzies could learn from the Netherlands.
ElParedon
"Avenger" <ave...@avengers.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Kw_Wj.2154$za1.1459@trndny07...
Gary Renzetti
> On Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:03 -0500, VTR a well known idiot
>
>
>> The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries
that support Israel. Since
>> 1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still
admire Israel as a nation,
>> but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
>
> "palestinians"????
> What's that?
> [xpost list severely restored]
"izzies"?????
What's that?
Who were their rulers between 500 AD and 1800 AD? Can you name 2 of
them?
Emil, there was *NO* "isr-el" or leaders of such in a *very* long time,
if ever.
>
ElParedon
>
> "Emil Tiades" <emilt...@marathon.org> wrote in message
> news:g0haf7$r8$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
>>
>> On Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:03 -0500, VTR a well known idiot
>> <vexj...@gmx.us> trolled again:
>>
>>
>>>
>>>The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that
>>>support Israel. Since
>>>1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still
>>>admire Israel as a nation,
>>>but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
>> <snip>
>>
>> "palestinians"????
>> What's that?
>> Who were their rulers
>
> They ruled themselves.
Most countries in that period ruled themselves
ElParedon
>> them?
>
> Oh, please - don't overtax them!
> They can just answer this: who was the Palestinian ruler in 1900?
>
> Susan
except in the fairy tales?
Gary Renzetti
>> <vexj...@gmx.us> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> The Netherlands has always headed the list of European countries that
>>> support Israel. Since
>>> 1982, however, public opinion has grown ambivalent. The Dutch still
>>> admire Israel as a nation,
>>> but they frown on its policies toward the Palestinians.
>> <snip>
>>
>> "palestinians"????
>> What's that?
>> Who were their rulers between 500 AD and 1800 AD? Can you name 2 of
>> them?
>
> Oh, please - don't overtax them!
> They can just answer this: who was the Palestinian ruler in 1900?
>
Sure, Sowsie. Right after you tell us who was the ersatz izzie ruler in
1900? Or 1800? Or 1700? Or 1600? Or 1500? Or 1400? Or 1400?
Deal?
>
>> [xpost list severely amended]
ElParedon
"Gary Renzetti" <liz...@connection.com> wrote in message
news:81db0$482cc1f3$d8fe9efe$25...@PRIMUS.CA...
Better than that; show me a single shard, papyrus, or stone with the name of
Israel on it
Avenger
Avenger
"ElParedon" <ser...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:pH6Xj.8203$hv2....@bignews5.bellsouth.net...
Nada. There's more proof that Thomas Crapper existed lol
http://www.jldr.com/crapper.htm
>
>
ElParedon
..the false prophets, pimps and whores may be viewed at "Committee For a
Just Peace in Israel and Palestine"
While reading thru parts of the JPost to see their reactions to GW's latest
rantings, i ran across a column by Abe Foxman on the "Nakba."
The columnn is worth reading, to see how Abe twists and distorts truth, but
the comments to Foxman's writings were sickening, if not downright scary.
And this is from the nation that proclaims it's for peace in the ME?
Comments from the Jpost about the Nakba:
Stephen: The only "nabka" is the collective and ever present hatred that the
muslims have for Israel, America and their people. Israel belongs to Jehovah
Elohim and He has a long term lease with the Hebrews for it. The muslims'
hatred and ever quickness to shed blood (theirs and the Israelis) will be
their ultimate demise. There is a time coming where Egypt, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon, the "Palestinians" and, yes, the Saudis will get their comeuppance
(read Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17:1).
Jo Ellen Davey Cohen Oak Park, Illinois USA: The catastrophe for Israel and
the U.S. is the Palestinian propaganda related to the 'nakba.' A figment of
imagination, the nakba narrative has enlisted Jewish traitors and Arab
terrorists (cloaked in peace and justice) to promulgate the deception and
duplicity of their grand scheme: the elimination of the State of Israel. An
illumination of the false prophets, pimps and whores may be viewed at
'Committee For a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine:' The seventh annual
walk for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. Sunday May 18, 2008 in Oak
Park, IL. A simplistic and sinister agenda...
Here's the link to that sinister site, the Committee For a Just Peace in
Israel and Palestine.
And here's what the say on their web site's front page:
The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine is a diverse,
community-based group dedicated to organizing local activities and
educational events that advance the cause of peace and justice for both
Palestinians and Israelis. We support efforts for resolution of this
conflict that combine vision with pragmatism. At this point in time, we have
adopted, as the most hopeful path toward evolution of a just peace, the
following organizational principles:
Support for equal rights and access to resources for all inhabitants of the
region, based on principles of social, economic, environmental, and
political justice.
Support for peace and justice activities in Israel, Palestine, and the U.S.
An end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem,
in accordance with international law and U.N. resolutions.
An end to U.S. policies that sustain the occupation.
International support for an equitable and just negotiation process.
A resolution to the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with
international law and human rights principles.
An end to all forms of terror: state, organizational, and individual.
We welcome all who support the principles above to join us in building this
important voice in our community.
Yep, sounds sinister to me. Can't be having peace and equal rights getting
in the way of the American funded, Israeli mandated ethnic cleansing of
Palestine.
Gary Renzetti
contribution to civilization!
>
>