Arms embargo against Israel? This is how much (or little) the Netherlands contributes to Iron Dome

Kati Piri's motion led to anger in the House:

If we look purely at the amounts, we see that relatively little defense equipment is exported from the Netherlands to Israel. From October 7, 2023, the day Israel was attacked and after which the violence by and against Israel escalated, until March 31 of this year (a year and a half), 4 million euros worth of military goods went from the Netherlands to Israel based on the issued permits .

This includes 'parts for' warships and corvettes, thermal imaging cameras, 'software for secure communication' and communication systems. The Dutch government document also includes the headings 'parts for radar systems' and 'parts for radar systems for anti-aircraft guns'. If this is considered alone, the export is approximately three tonnes. Whether these tonnes are of vital importance for the functioning of the Iron Dome cannot be demonstrated.

However, this document does allow some things to be put into perspective. Since October 7, 2023, a total of almost five billion euros worth of military goods have been exported to all countries. A significant difference.

It should be noted that this excludes the so-called 'dual-use goods'. These are products that can be used for military as well as civil purposes. Think of computer chips. Much more of these are exported to Israel (tens of millions). How much ends up with the Israeli defense is unknown.

It is also notable that the military export from the Netherlands to Israel was larger in size before October 7, 2023. In 2022 and 2023, the average amount was more than 10 million euros per year.

This 'export revival' came after years in which little military equipment went from or via the Netherlands to Israel. In 2019, it amounted to less than half a million euros. "In terms of arms exports and arms embargo, we have a very restrictive arms export policy towards Israel," said then Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 2021.

The video below shows how Israel's Iron Dome works:

Rutte already pointed to human rights violations 'as a result of the Israeli settlement policy, but certainly also as a result of Palestinian violence against Israelis'. He did endorse Israel's right to self-defense. "But within the limits of international law, including the issue of proportionality. A powerful country like Israel, which has one of the strongest armed forces in the world, naturally has a special responsibility in this."

After October 7, 2023, the discussion about arms exports to Israel has become even more prominent. This is also reflected in the number of applications rejected by the Netherlands for the export, transit and brokering of military goods and dual-use goods with military end use.

The Supreme Court still has to rule on the export of parts for the F-35 fighter jet. The Hague Court of Appeal previously ruled that the Netherlands had to stop the delivery. The Netherlands appealed and the Supreme Court must soon render a judgment.

There is already an opinion from Advocate General Paul Vlas, the top adviser to the highest court, stating that there is a "clear risk" that Israel's F-35 fighter jets will violate international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip.

Last year, seven deliveries with Israel (often the army) as final destination were rejected. This is much more often than in previous years combined. It concerns ammunition, image intensifiers, thermal viewers, helmets, bulletproof plates and technology for helicopters. Of course, this also concerns 'offensive' equipment and not only items that protect the citizens of Israel.

Deliveries of goods via other countries also occur, knowledge centre SOMO revealed last month. A Brabant family business supplies parts for Israeli military aircraft.

Nevertheless, it can be said that military exports to Israel from our country seem marginal. There is also a caveat to that. The Netherlands also imports from Israel, of course. According to an inventory by NRC at the end of last year, it involved almost a billion euros in military goods since October 7, 2023.

In addition, billions of euros worth of other goods are also traded. This money can flow back into the Israeli arms industry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NIDV foundation (Netherlands Industry for Defence & Security) did not respond to questions from RTL Nieuws.