Pirate Party Netherlands Makes Statement on Israel and Palestine

The Pirate Party of the Netherlands released the following statement about the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine. We have translated that statement from Dutch for the international community. We also remind our members and our friends from other organizations to let us know if you have any important political statements that you would like us to broadcast.

Israel & Palestine March 25, 2025 by Mark van Treuren

Since the outbreak of the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas, we have been confronted with inhumane situations. The Pirate Party, like many others, stands as a powerless spectator to the atrocities occurring there. Violence is met with even greater violence. Recognizing humanity in each other becomes nearly impossible when your country has been extensively bombed, and your family has been raped and murdered by someone proudly waving a flag after what has been done. Many are left with nothing but hatred and anger towards the person holding that flag. Some act on these emotions, leading to further escalation and violence, aiming to inflict even greater suffering than they experienced themselves.

Nearly every country worldwide has taken sides in one of the two camps—some out of friendship, others from shame, many driven by fear or anger. Justifications are sought in events and rationalizations of ideologies, rights, and moral values. However, no matter how you reason, ultimately these are people sacrificing their own lives, the lives of their loved ones, and even strangers out of desperation and despair. This desperation is exploited by those in power. To understand how it came to this and why a quick solution is not evident, we need to consider three aspects: Israeli domestic politics, the Palestinian authorities and militias, and how foreign entities exploit trauma.

In Israel, there is significant criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s violent approach. Little journalistic attention is given in Israel to Palestinian suffering. Netanyahu faces corruption charges and failed to act promptly despite clear warnings from foreign and domestic intelligence about the attack on October 7, 2023. It is conceivable that an escalating conflict benefited Netanyahu.

Too many civilians die due to military actions by the Israeli army. Many Israelis are horrified by videos and reports of soldiers proudly killing, raping, and torturing Palestinians. The lack of condemnation and accountability for Israeli soldiers committing these atrocities creates a severe breach of trust between the Palestinian and Israeli populations. Israel obstructs international law. It is necessary for Israel to discipline its ranks, fairly prosecute those committing atrocities, and transparently report on this process.

Another issue is the nationalist mindset and the belief in ideological and religious superiority among some Israelis. This toxic belief influences Israel’s leadership choices, resulting in a megalomaniacal leader who tells voters what they want to hear rather than facing uncomfortable truths. This endangers not only Israeli citizens but also the international Jewish community, which has little connection to the conflict. Fortunately, there are regular protests in Israel against the current government’s actions. Pirate Party Israel, comprising Palestinian, Arab, and Israeli members, consistently and passionately participates. New elections, informed by this awareness, could significantly influence the conflict positively for both Israelis and Palestinians.

In Palestine, the reality differs greatly. Palestinians in Israel still retain some rights, whereas Palestinians in the West Bank face suppression and dispossession by settlers backed by the Israeli army. Palestinians in Gaza suffer from hunger, poor health conditions, and daily fear for their lives. Cut off from the outside world, they are confined in a large open-air prison under constant attack.

Many Palestinians curse not only Israel but also Hamas for their plight. Hamas, funded by Iran, tightly controls the Palestinian population and uses them as human shields. Many young people in Gaza know nothing but the open-air prison imposed by Israel and indirectly by Egypt. Gazans are powerless to improve their situation; they cannot be blamed for their circumstances.

Foreign entities eagerly exploit the Israel-Hamas conflict. Iran and Russia have provided funding, training, and material support to Palestinian militias for over 30 years. The United States and European countries similarly support Israel. Populations, such as those in Iran desiring freedom from dictatorship, welcome Israel’s actions against Iran. The violence serves as a proxy for countries aiming to strike their real targets, engaging large groups of people and compelling them to choose sides. The conflict generates violence that must be responded to, mobilizing new individuals into the conflict.

Israeli Holocaust historian Omer Bartov, Professor Amos Goldberg, and numerous Israeli researchers now speak openly of genocide in Gaza, echoed by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Seeking justice through the International Criminal Court appears essential for recognition and condemnation through fact-finding. Proving genocide according to legal standards is challenging and could take many years. The last genocide rulings occurred during the 1990s concerning Rwanda and the trials against Milošević during the Yugoslavia tribunals, involving 8,000 deaths—a figure starkly contrasted by casualties in Gaza. Although there are also proceedings against Hamas members, many have already been killed in Israeli attacks.

The violence must cease immediately. Both the Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians detained in Israel without trial must be released immediately. The Palestinian Authority has requested Hamas relinquish control in Gaza—a critical step toward peace. Palestine and Israel must collaborate to heal population trauma and initiate reconstruction. After rebuilding, displaced Palestinians should live peacefully on their native land again.

Peace can only be achieved if all parties treat each other as humans because violence from one side requires the other side to sustain the spiral of escalation. This will not end abruptly. It will require significant effort to rebuild trust, inevitably strained by shared pain. Failing to pursue healing means total destruction until the last person stands. Peace demands collaboration among moderates from all sides. Pirate Party Netherlands supports the Pirate Party in Israel. Organizations dedicated to repairing relationships, ending the conflict, and facilitating fair, transparent, democratic elections for a government committed to peace, reconciliation, and freedom for all must be supported.

Notes:
1) https://pp-international.net/2023/11/ppistatementisraelpalestine/
2) https://discourse.european-pirateparty.eu/uploads/short-url/amzJEYGq0TK3FORn3k9P7dt8pOW.pdf
3) https://discourse.european-pirateparty.eu/uploads/short-url/hxep7XO6b0nl41YCVL21SVeeo6y.pdf
4) https://www.groene.nl/artikel/als-ik-een-palestijn-was
5) https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/02/27/why-egypt-refuses-to-open-its-border-topalestinians
6) https://nos.nl/collectie/13959/artikel/2548093-meer-onderzoekers-wijzen-op-genocide-door-israel-gaza-bestaat-niet-meer

Amsterdam, 25-03-2025,
Mark Anthony van Treuren
Leontien Werner-Wafelman  (leontien.wafelman _AT_ piratenpartij.nl)

Amsterdam, March 25, 2025, Mark Anthony van Treuren Leontien Werner-Wafelman (leontien.wafelman_AT_piratenpartij.nl)

With special thanks for support to: – Keith Goldstein PhD, co-founder Pirate Party Israel and Chair Pirate Party International – Matthijs Pontier PhD, prominent representative Pirate Party Netherlands

We remind our members again to let us know if you have any important statements that you would like us to share. You can read the original on the Pirate Party of Netherlands website: https://piratenpartij.nl/israel-palestina/