ANPDmissionary Prime Minister Rutte and his official during the debate
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 19:22
Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte refutes the accusation from a group of civil servants that he went too far when determining the government’s position on Israel.
“It is normal that civil servants and politicians communicate with each other on such a sensitive issue and that this ultimately comes together,” Rutte said in the House of Representatives. “And of course I am involved in what is going on internationally.”
He does not want to say how the consultation, including between him and Minister Bruins Slot of Foreign Affairs, went and how the cabinet ultimately came to a position. “That is unity of cabinet policy, you have to make do with the outcome.”
Less harsh judgment on Israel
A number of MPs asked the Prime Minister for clarification about the accusation made by the group of anonymous Foreign Affairs officials. They set NRC that in that mutual consultation, Rutte pushed for a less strict judgment on Israel and the possible violation of the laws of war.
The officials suggest that the Ministry of General Affairs intervened in legal opinions that Israel may have violated international laws of war. They also suggest that Rutte did this to have a better chance of becoming the top boss at NATO.
This is not apparent from the dozens of documents, emails and apps that the cabinet sent to the House today. Jesse Klaver of GL-PvdA and Jan Paternotte of D66 therefore put the question directly to Rutte.
‘Not true’
“It is not true,” Rutte told MPs. What officials outline did not happen, he repeated. But he doesn’t blame them. “Let’s be a little more relaxed about it if people want to express themselves this way. We can’t go around that ministry with a whip.”
However, he does find it annoying for civil servants who keep their opinions internal. “They are told on a birthday: ‘You think the same way, don’t you? Why isn’t your name on it?'”
He praised the professionalism of the thousands of Foreign Affairs officials. “The leaking doesn’t change that.”
2024-01-25 18:22:14
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