The Dutch government and the Israel-Hamas War: An analysis of the Dutch government’s discourse towards Israel during the Israel-Hamas War in the period October 2023 - June 2025

Abstract

This thesis analyses the discourse of the Rutte IV cabinet and the Schoof cabinet towards Israel during the Israel-Hamas War in the timeframe 7 October 2023 until 3 June 2025. The Netherlands has been considered as one of the most pro-Israel countries in the European Union. This thesis analyses the following five topics. Did the pro-Israel position of the Dutch government undergo a shift as the war progressed? Did the Dutch government adopt a normative discourse? Did the Dutch government utilize securitizing moves for portraying Israel as existentially threatened? Did the Dutch government undertake measures against Israel during the Israel-Hamas War? Did the Rutte IV cabinet approach Israel differently than the Schoof cabinet during the Israel-Hamas War? The analysis specifically focused on verbal and written statements made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister in both cabinets. Throughout the war the Dutch government had continuously emphasised that Israel had to act in accordance with international (humanitarian) law and that it should provide more extensive access to humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. In the analysed period, the Rutte IV cabinet and the Schoof cabinet took few measures that reflected the predominantly normative discourse. The analysis shows that the Rutte IV cabinet and the Schoof cabinet, throughout the analysed period, not only used normative language but also emphasised Israel’s security concerns in its discourse. The Rutte IV cabinet went further than the Schoof cabinet by also portraying Israel as a referent object. Israel was portrayed as being existentially threatened. Bilateral and multilateral diplomatic dialogue, throughout the analysed period, was the approach utilized by both cabinets in their attempts to convince Israel to take a different course of action. The diplomatic pressure of the Dutch government had limited impact. The Rutte IV cabinet and the Schoof cabinet tried to portray the Netherlands as a neutral party in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the Israel-Hamas War. Both cabinets sought diplomatic dialogue with Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Dutch government was reluctant to pursue bilateral measures when the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continued to deteriorate in the analysed timeframe. Instead, the Dutch government favoured European action over national action. As shown in the analysed timeframe the European Council did not, except for sanctions against violent Israeli colonists in the West Bank, announce measures against the State of Israel. The Netherlands and the European Union adopted a normative stance towards international (humanitarian) law. After the order of the International Court of Justice to halt the Rafah offensive and the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, the Netherlands and the European Union did not announce sanctions against the State of Israel. Instead, diplomatic pressure continued to be the main tool utilized by the Rutte IV cabinet and the Schoof cabinet.