Wilders visits Israel and occupied West Bank despite criticism
By our news editors
Dec 8, 2024 at 10:35 pm
Update: 39 min ago
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Geert Wilders is visiting Israel for a day and a half. The PVV leader announced this on X . On Monday, he will speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, among others. He will also visit the occupied West Bank.
On Sunday, Wilders met with Minister Gila Gamliel of Innovation, Science and Technology in Tel Aviv. According to him, there are also talks with the ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs and Energy on the agenda. He will also visit the chairman of the Knesset, the parliament.

The visit is accepted by the cabinet, but causes irritation. Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs) said on Thursday that visiting settlements on the West Bank is "certainly not in line with the government program". The critical Veldkamp also said that he wanted to discuss Wilders' trip in the cabinet. But at the same time, according to Veldkamp, ??the cabinet cannot dictate to the members of parliament what they are allowed to do.

Later, Veldkamp said that it is "up to Mr Wilders himself to visit Netanyahu". "I am responsible for cabinet policy and as a cabinet we set out a policy line based on the government programme."

Prime Minister Dick Schoof saw "no reason" to discuss Wilders' planned trip during the cabinet meeting. "Members of Parliament are all responsible for their own words, their own agenda and travel schedule and their own tweets," he said a few weeks ago.