Silent Allies, Loud Narratives

Silent Allies, Loud Narratives

Across the Netherlands, hundreds of thousands marched last year under the banner of the “Red Line” demonstrations for Palestinians. Yet when Kurds, Druze, or Yazidis cry out for support, they stand almost entirely alone. The contrast is striking, and it raises a difficult but necessary question: why do some causes mobilize half a million people, while others, often victims of far more brutal oppression, barely gather a few dozen supporters?

The answer, as historian and political scientist Coen de Jong bluntly summarizes, is simple: “No lobby groups, no money.”

The Forgotten Minorities

In recent weeks, Kurds have taken to the streets again as Syrian regime militias attack their communities. Hundreds gathered on Amsterdam’s Dam Square and later in The Hague. Their intention was to march through the city, but police restrictions forced them to disperse.

The scene was painfully familiar. Years earlier, Druze communities, reeling from massacres in Syria, stood almost alone in front of the Peace Palace in The Hague. Iranian dissidents, despite thousands killed by their regime, rarely draw large crowds. The persecuted Yazidis, victims of ISIS genocide, often stand with only a handful of sympathizers. Even the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, one of the most oppressed peoples on earth, barely register in Dutch street activism.

But Gaza Always Draws a Crowd

When it comes to Gaza, however, the attention is constant, intense, and highly organized. According to De Jong, this is no coincidence:

“Lobbying, financial networks, media access, and professional propaganda.”

He describes how, in The Hague, he saw a small Kurdish protest surrounded by police—while just down the street, a large group of Dutch former diplomats and Foreign Affairs staff demonstrated for Gaza under banners like “No more killing” and “Former ambassadors against genocide.”

The contrast was stark: the Gaza protest was overwhelmingly Dutch; the Kurdish protest consisted almost entirely of Kurds. As De Jong notes, the Kurds have no powerful NGOs, no wealthy networks, and no political machinery behind them.

And yet, if any group deserves Western solidarity, it is the Kurds, who fought side by side with Western forces to defeat ISIS. Now, as they face renewed attacks, they feel abandoned.

A Lobby Decades in the Making

The Palestinian lobby in the Netherlands has deep roots. The Dutch Palestine Committee began in the 1970s, supported by early GreenLeft predecessors and influential figures like Jan Pronk of the Labour Party. Over the decades, NGOs such as Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam Novib, and PAX have become powerful voices in shaping public opinion.

These organizations employ former politicians, enjoy substantial funding, and maintain strong media connections. The Rights Forum, founded by former Prime Minister Dries van Agt, continues this tradition, supported by prominent left‑liberal elites.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International’s attempt to protest at the Iranian embassy was blocked by The Hague, ironically the first time an NGO tried to stand publicly with the Iranian protest movement.

A Disproportionate Focus on Israel

An analysis of more than 180,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) reveals a dramatic imbalance:

• Doctors Without Borders: 950 posts about Gaza, 16 about Iran

• Euro‑Med Human Rights Monitor: 5000+ posts about Gaza, 7 about Iran

• Oxfam: 213 posts about Gaza, 0 about Iran

• Save the Children: 392 posts about Gaza, 9 about Iran

This overwhelming focus on Israel, while ignoring atrocities in Iran, Syria, or Myanmar raises legitimate concerns about selective outrage.

Israel’s top diplomat, Yossi Amrani, recently argued that some NGOs play an “unwholesome role,” acting as a mobilizing force against Israel rather than as neutral humanitarian actors.

NGOs and Hamas: A Troubling Relationship

NGO Monitor, a respected think tank, has documented how many aid organizations operating in Gaza must work under Hamas supervision. Hamas assigns “guarantors” officials embedded within NGOs to monitor and influence their activities.

This arrangement compromises neutrality. By remaining silent about Hamas abuses, NGOs risk becoming conduits for Hamas propaganda and misinformation.

The Manufactured Consensus

According to De Jong, a “moral consensus” has emerged in which Israel is automatically accused of genocide. Anyone who questions this narrative is labeled complicit. These accusations often rely on weak or unverified claims, amplified by figures like UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese—whose objectivity has been widely challenged.

De Jong warns that this propaganda resembles the stereotyping of the 1930s: a demonized “Zionist villain” and a helpless Palestinian victim, repeated endlessly regardless of factual accuracy.

When Propaganda Turns Dangerous

One example involved a widely circulated X‑ray image supposedly showing an intact Israeli bullet lodged in a child’s head. Ballistic experts questioned its authenticity, yet Dutch politician Frans Timmermans brandished it in parliament as if it were unquestionable truth.

The consequences were real. A Dutch environmental researcher, enraged by the image, cycled to The Hague with bottles of gasoline intending to burn down the Israeli embassy. He carried the newspaper clipping as justification. His attack failed, but the intent was clear.

De Jong calls it what it is: successful indoctrination.

* Based on an Article in “De Telegraaf”