Several Arab countries have condemned statements made by Dutch MP Geert Wilders in which he called for the displacement of the Palestinian people to Jordan.
The Arab League, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan on Saturday condemned statements by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders calling for the displacement of the Palestinian people to Jordan.
The comments, labelled as “racist” and “inflammatory”, drew fierce condemnation from Palestinian officials and several Arab nations.
“The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the racist inflammatory statements by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, in which he denied the rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and called for their displacement to Jordan,” a statement issued by the PA’s foreign ministry said.
The statement labelled Wilders’ remarks as a “call to escalate aggression against our people and a blatant interference in their affairs and fate”, and urged the Dutch government to “condemn and reject” these statements in line with international law.
Jordan also issued a separate condemnation, denouncing Wilders’ “racist position” and his denial of Palestinians’ right to freedom.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi confirmed Jordan’s condemnation in a telephone call with his Dutch counterpart.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen joined in the condemnation, considering Wilders’ statements as interference in Jordan’s internal affairs.
“Irresponsible statements made by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders [are] considered interference in the internal affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and [are] rejected and condemned,” the UAE embassy in the Netherlands wrote on X.
Wilders, known for his populist and anti-Islam views, has been a staunch supporter of Israel, advocating for the establishment of settlements in the West Bank – a move deemed illegal under international law.
Over the years, Wilders has repeatedly suggested that ‘Jordan is Palestine‘ and proposed resolving Israel’s occupation of Palestine by relocating Palestinians to Jordan.
Wilders’ victory in the recent Dutch elections on 22 November intensified the spotlight on his controversial position, calling for the displacement of the millions of already displaced Palestinians.
The far-right and fascist anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV) politician has further advocated moving the Dutch Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, conveniently aligning with his clear anti-Palestine stance, and proposed closing the Dutch diplomatic post in Ramallah.
Wilders has a long history of promoting anti-Islamic rhetoric, insulting the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran.
In a televised debate in 2021, Wilders blamed “Moroccan youths” for a high proportion of crime and expressed concern “over Dutch Muslims’ Sharia law over the constitution,” British reports said.
In one incident, Wilders took aim at the Dutch prime minister who he blamed for the country being “flooded with Muslims”. In 2017, Wilders also filed a lawsuit against the PM at the time for allegedly discriminating against Dutch people in favour of immigrants. That case was dismissed the following year.
Several years earlier in 2007, Wilders also compared the Quran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf manifesto and said it should be banned.
His controversial and insensitive remarks come as the Israeli occupation has so far killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, including more than 8,000 children, in Gaza since the beginning of the brutal bombing campaign, per Euro-Med.
