A Dutch court has dismissed an appeal by a group of human rights organisations that filed a lawsuit arguing the Netherlands was violating international law by continuing to sell weapons to Israel.
The Hague Court of Appeal on Thursday found that although “there is a serious risk that Israel will commit genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza,” the Dutch government has “considerable discretion” to determine foreign policy and issues of national security.
The Hague Court of Appeal is a regional appellate court in the Netherlands.
It’s part of the Dutch national judiciary, not an international court, even though it is in the same city as major international tribunals like the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
The group of 10 NGOs were hoping the lawsuit would force the Dutch to stop sending weapons and trained police dogs to Israel and cut economic ties with businesses operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from the International Court of Justice, which they say confirmed the obligation to stop weapons sales.
In January, the top UN court said it was plausible that Palestinians were being deprived of rights protected under the Genocide Convention.
In Thursday’s decision, the court noted that the government had already taken several measures, including halting the export of some products.
‘Not violating the Genocide Convention’
The Dutch government denied that it violates the 1948 Genocide Convention.