Jordan summons Dutch ambassador over far-right leader’s anti-Palestinian remarks
Jordan has recalled its ambassador to the Netherlands following inflammatory comments by far-right Party for Freedom PVV leader Geert Wilders that Palestinians must be moved to Jordan. The move came after electoral success, where Wilders said that Palestinians must be transferred to Jordan, evoking a storm of Arab and international condemnations against the Western country.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said that Wilders’ comments were “racist” and an “irresponsible interference” in Jordan’s internal affairs. The ministry added that such declarations violate the rights of Palestinians and raise tension in the region. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi contacted his Dutch counterpart, Hanke Bruins Slot, to express strong disapproval and rejection from Jordan over Wilder’s stance.
Wilders is a notorious anti-Islam politician with a taste for provocative statements. His newest electoral success has multiplied the effect of controversial rhetoric. Wilders has always backed the right of Israel to build settlements in the West Bank and, in the past, called for Jordan to be the homeland for Palestinians—a position that many see as erasing Palestinian claims to their land.
The PA reacted strongly to the statements of Wilders, condemning them as amounting to a call for increased aggression against Palestinians, with blatant interference in their internal affairs. The Palestinian Authority reaffirmed the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and their right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Other Arab states and organizations have also reacted with condemnation. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, and the Arab League issued statements to decry Wilders’ remarks. The UAE Embassy in the Netherlands explained that Wilders’ comments interfered with Jordan’s domestic matters, were unacceptable, and condemned as inflammatory and extremist.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also equally condemned Wilders’ statement, referring to them as fascist grounded on the Zionist displacement agenda of the Palestinian people. It concluded by reiterating its commitment to the cause of Palestine and the resistance against the occupation of Israel to actualize the national aspirations of the Palestinians by establishing a state that has Jerusalem as its capital.
Wilders’ comments and the subsequent reactions underline how volatile the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is and how sensitive the political discourse is around it. Such a statement by Wilders, advocating the transfer of Palestinians to Jordan, disregards not only the intricate history and rights of the Palestinian people but also risks fanning regional tensions. International condemnation in unison indicates a clear and firm stance against this kind of rhetoric, emphasizing that no alternative to treating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by peaceful and diplomatic means will be accepted.
