The Electronic Intifada 23 September 2002
‘Israel must unconditionally withdraw from the territories it occupied since 1967 and implement all relevant UN resolutions’. This petition has been signed by two hundred prominent Dutch citizens, including politicians, writers, and artists and will be published in an advertisement in the Dutch daily newspaper De Volkskrant.
The statement called on European governments and the European Parliament to strive forcefully to this aim. The statement said that they must not be afraid to use financial pressure. The EU-Israel Association Agreement provides Israel with significant financial privileges.
Dutch citizens, who signed this statement, include former Prime Minister Dries van Agt, TV-anchor and columnist Marcel van Dam, author Ronald Giphart, comedian Freek de Jonge, parliamentarians Jan Marijnissen, Bishop Muskens, parliamentarian leader of the Dutch Social Democrats Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, her colleague of the Green Left, Paul Rosenmöller, and Socialist Party, Jan Marijnissen, author Jan Wolkers, former cabinet ministers Relus ter Beek, Margreeth de Boer, and author Karel Glastra van Loon.
The statement is an initiative of the group ‘Stop the Occupation’. Chair of this group is Gretta Duisenberg, the wife of the president of the European Central Bank. Earlier this year, Duisenberg received much attention by flying the Palestinian flag from the balcony of her home. She accused the Dutch government of a passive approach when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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