The Dutch Parliament has passed a resolution requiring Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a condition for receiving funding. The motion, which aims to increase transparency and prevent financial support from reaching designated terror groups, was approved in a narrow 70-67 vote on Tuesday.
The decision follows an attack in Amsterdam last November, in which a mob of rioters—many of them Muslim—assaulted visiting Israeli soccer fans. The incident intensified scrutiny on Dutch aid policies, particularly the lack of oversight that has, for years, allowed taxpayer money to flow to organizations with links to terrorism.
“In no circumstance may Dutch taxpayer money end up in the hands of terrorists,” said Dutch Parliament member Chris Stoffer, who introduced the resolution. “From now on, there will be more control and transparency of cash flows, and organizations must recognize the State of Israel and its right to exist.”
For years, concerns have been raised about Dutch funding indirectly supporting anti-Israel and antisemitic entities. Olga Deutsch, vice president of NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based watchdog group, welcomed the resolution as a necessary correction. “Billions of euros have been diverted to such groups,” she noted, adding that the need for reform became even clearer after the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Dutch lawmakers were further alarmed by revelations in a parliamentary hearing last November that previous governments had failed to block funding to terror-linked groups. It was disclosed that Dutch aid had subsidized the salaries of two employees of a Ramallah-based NGO who were convicted in the 2019 murder of a 17-year-old Israeli girl. The individuals were members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an organization designated as a terrorist group by the European Union. Their employer, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), received approximately 20 million euros from the Dutch government over the past decade.
“This resolution is a great move in the right direction,” said Shaun Sacks, a senior researcher at NGO Monitor, who testified before the Dutch Parliament on the issue. “I hope it becomes actionable in future Dutch funding decisions.”
Leo van Doesburg, Europe director of the Israel Allies Foundation, echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for accountability. “We cannot accept that millions of euros disappear into unknown destinations, ending up in the hands of terrorists who use taxpayers’ money to fund terror and murder Jews,” he said. “I applaud this initiative ensuring that funds support individuals and organizations that seek peace with the Jewish state rather than its destruction.”
With this new policy in place, the Dutch government signals a shift toward greater scrutiny of foreign aid, ensuring that its contributions serve the cause of peace rather than fueling conflict.