Two-thirds of the Dutch do not support the Netherlands' approach to Gaza
A new survey conducted by Ipsos I&O shows that 65% of the Dutch population opposes their government's approach to Israel and the war in Gaza. Among the 1,155 Dutch adults surveyed, 58% said they want the government to be more critical of Israel and take stronger actions against it, while 12% believe the country should provide more support to Israel. Both positions have seen growth over the past two years.
This is the fifth survey of its kind, and it shows that criticism of the Dutch government's policy has reached its highest level since the outbreak of the war. There is no longer any group of voters that fully supports the current policy. In November 2023, most VVD voters (57%) and CDA voters (56%) supported the government's approach to dealing with the conflict, but these numbers have now dropped to 35% and 26% respectively.
The percentage of supporters of government policy has increased slightly from 15% to 18%, primarily due to a decrease in the percentage of undecided individuals. The percentage of those who do not support government policy or support it partially has risen from 59% in April to 65% now, while the percentage of those without an opinion has decreased from 26% to 17%.
As for the critics of the government's approach, most of them are calling for stronger measures against Israel. Many want the government to explicitly acknowledge that Israel is committing genocide, to impose a boycott, and to officially recognize the State of Palestine. In contrast, the 18% who support the government's policy mostly want continued support for Israel, while others believe that any stronger measures should be taken at the European or international level. There is also a small group that thinks it is better for the Netherlands to stay completely out of the conflict.
Public opinion was also clear on specific issues: half of the Dutch population wants to stop purchasing weapons from Israel, 46% support boycotting products from illegal Israeli settlements, and 38% prefer immediate recognition of the State of Palestine. Regarding party divisions, a large majority of GroenLinks-PvdA (91%), D66 (78%), and CDA (76%) voters want stronger actions against Israel, while VVD voters are divided. Voters of the far-right parties PVV and JA21 are almost evenly split between supporting Israel, criticizing it, or maintaining the current situation.
The survey was conducted one week after the NSC party withdrew from the government following the resignation of Foreign Minister Kasper Fieldkamp, who stated that the coalition partners, BBB and VVD, did not give him enough space to take action against Israel. This decision sparked widespread controversy among voters, with 29% considering it a justified step, while 36% believed it was not.