Caspar Veldkamp resigned as Dutch foreign minister after failing to win cabinet backing for additional sanctions against Israel amid its military operations in Gaza. He had sought measures including travel bans on far-right Israeli ministers and revocation of export permits for navy ship components, citing risks of incitement, settler violence and undesirable end use. His resignation left the Netherlands without a foreign minister and prompted all New Social Contract ministers and state secretaries to resign in solidarity. The departures complicate EU work on Ukraine security guarantees and US tariff talks, and follow mounting parliamentary pressure for stricter sanctions.
Caspar Veldkamp and other ministers step down after cabinet rejects sanctions against Israel, prompting broader political upheaval. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has resigned after failing to secure cabinet support for additional sanctions against Israel over its military onslaught in Gaza. Veldkamp, a member of the centre-right New Social Contract party, said on Friday that he could not achieve agreement on meaningful measures and had repeatedly faced resistance from colleagues over sanctions already in place.
His efforts included imposing entry bans on far-right Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing their role in inciting settler violence against Palestinians. Veldkamp also revoked three export permits for navy ship components, warning of deteriorating conditions in Gaza and the risk of undesirable end use. I also see what is happening on the ground in Gaza, the attack on Gaza City, and what is happening in the West Bank, the building decision for the disputed settlement E1, and East Jerusalem, Veldkamp told reporters.
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