Dutch opposition irate over plan to sell defense system to Israel

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Dutch opposition irate over plan to sell defense system to Israel

By Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Last update - 21:25 16/10/2007

Opposition parties in The Netherlands responded angrily to a plan to sell an air defense system to Israel in November, announced by deputy defense minister Cees van der Knaap in parliament on Tuesday.

It concerns an outdated system, parts of the HAWK helicopter, which Israel wants to use for maintenance of its own air defense system.

The countries are due to sign a sales contract in November, Van der Knaap said. If the United States gives permission for the arms deal, Israel will receive the parts by 2008.

The Greens (GL) and Socialist Party (SP), both members of the opposition, claim the sale violates previous Dutch agreements not to sell arms to Israel.

The parties requested foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen to clarify the deal.

Verhagen on Tuesday promised parliament to look into the matter.

He stressed however that if a country requires arms for defensive reasons, this might not fall under the terms of earlier agreements not to sell arms.

Attempts by the Greens and the Socialist Party to stop the government from allowing Israel to use Dutch territory to transport arms from the U.S. to Israel, remained unsuccessful.