Dutch Foreign Minister Defends Diplomat Promoting ‘One-State Solution’
Stef Blok and Angelique Eijpe Image by Forward Montage
AMSTERDAM (JTA) — The Dutch foreign minister defended the right of a diplomat serving in his ministry to call for a boycott of Israel and promote a “one-state solution” of Israelis and Palestinians.
Stef Blok offered a defense of Angelique Eijpe on Tuesday in parliament.
Eijpe’s anti-Israel activities came up in parliamentary queries after it emerged that she was granted an extraordinary leave of absence from the ministry to set up an organization called One State Foundation promoting the one-state solution. Supporters of one state say it would end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but opponents dismiss the plan as an attempt to transform Israel through immigration from a Jewish-majority country to a Palestinian-majority one.
The Netherlands has declared itself committed to a two-state solution, a Jewish nation living alongside a Palestinian one.
Blok said Eijpe’s actions do no constitute a “sharp contradiction” with the Dutch Foreign Ministry’s policy, as she is not paid by the ministry during her work for the foundation. He said it falls within the freedom of expression and assembly, reserved also for employees of government offices.
In 2014, Eijpe shared a plea on Facebook to “immediately boycott the state of Israel.” The Dutch Foreign Ministry is opposed to such boycotts.
Eijpe, who has advised the ministry on issues connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also has been involved with a family member’s lawsuit against Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, over a military strike in Gaza.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
