Dutch Gov't Under Fire For Netanyahu Visit

Berlin, Jan 19, IRNA -- The Dutch government is facing criticism for inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Radio Netherlands reported Wednesday. Anti-Israel groups have said Netanyahu should not have been invited at all to the Netherlands. 'He shouldn’t be coming at all. You shouldn’t be putting out the red carpet given the terrible human rights situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories,' said the co-founder of A Different Jewish Voice, Harry de Winter. 'If the Netherlands were a true friend of Israel, it would be more critical of Israeli policies,' he added. De Winter's remarks were echoed by the head of the Dutch Palestine Committee, Wim Langkamp who said the only thing Netanyahu should be doing in the Netherlands is to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC). 'Back in 2004, another international court in The Hague ruled that building the wall separating Israel from the West Bank was illegal. Since then, Israel has committed many more violations of human rights, including the murder of nine people on the Gaza flotilla,' Langkamp said. 'The ICC is in the Hague, within walking distance of parliament, where he’ll be tomorrow,' he added. The Netherlands has long been known as Israel’s closest ally in Europe besides Germany. A major focus of Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal who is Jewish and whose wife is Israeli, is to deepen ties with the Zionist regime. Dubbed 'Israel's best friend in Europe' by the Dutch press, Rosenthal has essentially stifled any criticism of Israel. Speaking at an international conference in Israel in 2010, Rosenthal did not beat around the bush by saying, “The Dutch government doesn't appreciate Israel bashing and Israel bashing shouldn't be acceptable to anyone.' Before taking office as the country's foreign minister, Rosenthal had reportedly told the Dutch parliament that his priority was to bring an end to 'Israel bashing.' In his attempt to muzzle criticism of Israel, Rosenthal issued a stern warning to a Dutch non-governmental organization, ICCO, which provided funding for an Internet site called the Electronic Intifada which reports on Israeli human rights violations. The Hague had also actively torpedoed Palestine's independence bid in the UN and UNESCO./end