Dutch diplomat resigns over government's Gaza policy

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Dutch diplomat Angelique Eijpe has resigned in protest against the government’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza after 21 years of service.

Speaking to Al Jazeera English, Eijpe, who had previously worked in Gaza, expressed her profound disillusionment with the government's failure to advocate for a cease-fire in the embattled territory.

Her decision to step down was underscored by a deep-rooted conviction that she could no longer serve a government unwilling to take a decisive stand on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Eijpe's resignation echoes the sentiments of 800 international diplomats who recently issued a joint communique condemning the ongoing violence.

In her resignation letter, she highlighted the erosion of moral standing within the Netherlands, citing the government's reluctance to denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza as potential war crimes.

"I wrote a lot in the resignation letter. I wrote about the moral standing we have lost in the Netherlands. For example, the government has refused to define what's going on as war crimes or potential war crimes. We have abstained twice in the UN General Assembly where it comes to the voting for a cease-fire. We are here in The Hague, the capital of peace and justice, and our credibility has really suffered an extreme blow," she said.

"Some civil servants in the US and Europe are taking a stand against their governments' support for Israel's war in Gaza. Several have resigned because they no longer feel able to implement government policies they disagree with," she added.

Eijpe's efforts to engage in dialogue with government officials, including the minister of foreign affairs, proved futile.

Despite raising concerns internally and participating in civil servant sit-ins, where employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened weekly to express dissent, Eijpe found her appeals unanswered.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing nearly 29,800 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.