Holland will provide Patriot anti-missile batteries to Israel, as well as food and gas masks to Palestinians in the Israeli-administered territories, it was announced last Friday in The Hague.
The lower house of Parliament voted 146-4 to approve the loan of Dutch Patriots. Only four of the six-member left-wing Green party dissented.
The batteries will be accompanied by a detail of 25 Dutch military personnel to serve as instructors and maintenance crews. Fifteen of them will remain in Israel for an unspecified period.
The Dutch Patriot systems, presently located in Blomberg, Germany, are not the most advanced type but have been modified to intercept missiles as well as aircraft, which they were originally designed to down.
They were offered to Israel three weeks ago but declined at the time because Patriot batteries had just arrived from the United States.
But the Scud missile attacks are continuing, and Israel can now use the additional anti-missile systems.
Transporting them is a problem. The Dutch air force lacks transport planes big enough to carry the Patriots. When Holland supplied missile batteries to Turkey two weeks ago to protect its border with Iraq, Soviet transport planes had to be chartered.
The Ministry for Development Aid to Third World Countries announced last Friday that Holland will donate an additional $1.2 million for food for the Palestinians and provide 10,000 gas masks for them. Holland gave the Palestinians $1.75 million for food in December.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
