Progressive Politics

I took the time to read through this new source. I think this proves the point that the quote is taken out of context. Most importantly it’s not from him. Secondly it’s from a department under his command. If we read the context we see that the quote should be understood as “what could we possibly say to it appears that Israel is no committing war crimes? It’s obvious that they are.” Here is the quote with the context.

The outgoing Dutch Prime Minister is sweeping politically unwelcome information about Israel, such as possible human rights violations, under the rug so as not to offend the United States and protect his prospects for his future job as NATO leader, NRC reports based on an anonymous letter a group of civil servants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Court of Appeal in The Hague. 

“A request from the Ministry of General Affairs to the Legal Affairs Directorate at Foreign Affairs reads as follows,” NRC quoted from the officials’ letter: “What can we say so that it appears that Israel is not committing war crimes?”

Rutte and his Ministers have spoken out about the war, which has cost the lives of around 24,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis so far, multiple times, urging Israel to act within the international rule of law. The Netherlands has never called for a ceasefire, only sticking to appeals for “humanitarian pauses.”

The department’s not saying “please Mr USA what should I say?”. It’s saying “how can we possibly phrase this such that the USA will go along while at the same time not just lying”

I think the difference between the two is the difference between Russian interest level propaganda and geopolitical situations as they are. Aka the U.S. having a disproportionate influence worldwide.