A Labor member of the Dutch Parliament has urged the government to recall its Ambassador from Israel because of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights. But Foreign Minister Max van der Stoel said he would not do so even though Holland disapproves of Israel’s action.
Recall of the envoy was proposed by Harry van den Bergh, chairman of the Parliamentary Defense Committee and the Labor Party’s Middle East expert, who is of Jewish origin and describes himself as a friend of Israel. He said the annexation was the culmination of many actions by the Israeli government, including the annexation of East Jerusalem and Israel’s policy on the West Bank, that has pained him and other friends of Israel in Holland.
Meanwhile, van der Stoel told the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday that he makes no connection between annexation of the Golan Heights and Holland’s possible participation in the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai after Israel completes its withdrawal next April.
Holland, along with Britain, France and Italy, indicated last month that they were prepared to provide personnel for the international peacekeeping force. Van der Stoel indicated last week, however, that the four countries were still studying Israel’s demand that they affirm an Israeli-U.S. declaration that the Camp David accords are the sole basis for the MFO.
The Foreign Minister said yesterday that it was still possible that Egypt might veto the Sinai peace force in protest against Israel’s annexation of the Golan.
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.
