An Open Letter to the Members of the Knesset

An Open Letter to the Members of the Knesset and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Distinguished Members of the Knesset,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

I am writing this open letter to you at a critical juncture in history, speaking from the Netherlands on behalf of the organization Time To Stand Up For Israel. My message to you is one of urgent warning, historical context, and a call for a fundamental shift in how the State of Israel responds to the hostile actions emanating from the Dutch government.

To understand the current hostile stance of the Netherlands, you must understand our current political reality. The political party D66 is now the largest party in the country and is leading the government. D66 has a long, deeply rooted history of anti-Israel sentiment. This is not a matter of mere political disagreement; it is a structural, systemic bias that influences major foreign policy decisions.
A definitive and alarming example of this occurred when Sigrid Kaag, a prominent D66 politician serving as Minister, bypassed the Dutch Parliament entirely. Without consulting the House of Representatives, she unilaterally transferred 6 million euros of taxpayers’ money to Palestinian organizations. It was later conclusively proven that these organizations had direct links to Hamas.

By financing entities tied to a genocidal terrorist organization, the Dutch government effectively facilitated the infrastructure of terror. Consequently, the Netherlands bears a degree of complicity in the horrific slaughter of October 7th. Funding the networks that wish to see Israel destroyed makes the hands of our government unclean.

Tragically, being on the wrong side of history when it comes to the Jewish people is not a new phenomenon for the Netherlands. During the Second World War, the Netherlands saw the highest proportional percentage of its Jewish population deported and murdered compared to neighboring Western European countries. This was largely due to the meticulous administration and compliance of the Dutch civil service and government at the time. Once again, bureaucracy and state actions aligned with forces of destruction.
Furthermore, the moral superiority currently projected by the Dutch government is deeply hypocritical. The Netherlands possesses a highly questionable colonial past marked by severe, systemic violations of human rights across the globe. Yet, today, Dutch politicians attempt to act as the moral conscience of the world, adopting a self-righteous attitude while actively leading efforts to boycott products originating from Judea and Samaria.

This boycott strategy is not only unjust, but it is also counterproductive to the very people they claim to help. We have seen this debacle before, most notably with SodaStream. When international and Dutch pressure forced operations out of Judea and Samaria, it did not liberate anyone; instead, it resulted in hundreds of Palestinian workers losing high-paying jobs, stable healthcare, and economic security. The Dutch policy of boycotts brings nothing but economic devastation to the local population.

I fully understand that Israel naturally desires to maintain goodwill and positive diplomatic relations across the globe. However, you must realize that when it comes to the current Dutch political establishment, the Netherlands is a lost cause. Appeasement will not change a deeply ingrained ideological bias.

Therefore, I urge the State of Israel to take a hard, uncompromising stance against the Netherlands. It is time to respond with equal force. Israel should implement a strict counter-boycott, refusing to import any goods or services from the Netherlands. Furthermore, Israel should take the decisive step of severing diplomatic ties with the Dutch government.
The time has come for Israel to take total control of the situation and stop allowing hostile European nations to dictate terms or undermine its sovereignty under the guise of virtue signaling.

Respectfully signed,

Sabine Sterk
Time To Stand Up For Israel