The AOHR-NE Condemns Mr. Wilders’ Ridiculous Statements and Farcical Visits to the Occupied Palestine, and Calls on the Dutch Public Prosecution to Examine Their Compatibility with Dutch and International Law

The AOHR-NE Condemns Mr. Wilders’ Ridiculous Statements and Farcical Visits to the Occupied Palestine
And Calls on the Dutch Public Prosecution to Examine Their Compatibility with Dutch and International Law

The Hague, 2 August 2026

The Arab Organization for Human Rights in North Europa (AOHR-NE) expresses its profound concern regarding the statements and positions made by Mr. Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), during his recent visit to the Occupied Palestine, where he met with a number of senior Israeli occupation political and military officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defence, officials from the local administration of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as members of the Knesset and a number of settlers.

During the visit, Mr. Wilders openly declared his support for the Israeli occupation and for the political, military, and security leadership responsible for the commission of war crimes and the crime of genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, the launching of arbitrary attacks against civilians, their starvation, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and their forcible displacement. These acts have resulted in the deaths of at least 73,000 Palestinians and the injury of a further 170,000.

This visit also comes amid the continuing escalation and violence by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank, which reached a peak on Friday, 24 July of this year, resulting in the killing of at least 1,155 Palestinians, the injury of approximately 11,750 others, the arrest of nearly 22,000 persons, extensive destruction of property, and the forced displacement of residents due to the absence of security within local communities. This has occurred in the context of ongoing settler violence and repeated attacks, the continued targeting of places of worship, incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the accelerating expansion of settlements, and the confiscation of Palestinian homes and property. These practices have previously been considered by the United Nations and the International Court of Justice to be contrary to international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

During his visit to one of the settlements, Mr. Wilders expressed his support for the expansion of Israeli settlements, stating: “This is your land, your country, your history.” The AOHR-NE considers such statements to constitute support for a settlement enterprise that the overwhelming majority of the international community regards as contrary to international law, particularly Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, in addition to numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, as well as the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Mr. Wilders also expressed his desire to bring an end to the work of the International Criminal Court, despite the fact that it is an international judicial institution established under the Rome Statute for the purpose of combating impunity for the gravest international crimes. In November 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the Israeli occupation, and Yoav Gallant, Minister of Defence, on the basis of reasonable grounds to believe that they bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The AOHR-NE also refers to Mr. Wilders’ long-standing statements directed against citizens and residents of Arab and Muslim backgrounds, which have been based on discriminatory and racist grounds. He has been the subject of several judicial proceedings in the Netherlands, the most notable being the “Moroccans” case, which concluded with his final conviction for insulting a group of persons, although no penalty was imposed.

The AOHR-NE considers that Mr. Wilders’ political approach—as leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) since its establishment in 2006—which is characterised by internal party authoritarianism, policies of hostility toward Arabs, Muslims, and foreigners within the Netherlands, support for settlement expansion and genocide in Palestine, and efforts to undermine the mechanisms of international justice, raises serious questions regarding the compatibility of these positions with the spirit of the constitutional and human rights values upon which the Kingdom of the Netherlands is founded. These include, foremost, respect for human rights, non-discrimination, the rule of law, and adherence to international law, as well as the position occupied by the Netherlands as a symbol of global justice and as the chosen seat of the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and numerous other institutions and mechanisms of international justice, arbitration, and adjudication.

Accordingly, the AOHR-NE calls upon:

1. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service to examine whether the statements, positions, and activities undertaken by Mr. Geert Wilders warrant the opening of an investigation in light of the provisions of Dutch criminal law and the international obligations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and to assess whether any of those acts could constitute a legally relevant contribution to supporting or encouraging policies or individuals facing international accusations of war crimes or crimes against humanity, in accordance with the applicable evidence and legal standards.
2. The Government of the Netherlands to reaffirm its commitment to the independence of international justice, to respect the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, and to refrain from any positions or practices that could undermine international accountability efforts.
3. The Dutch authorities to continue developing policies aimed at combating discrimination, racism, and hate speech directed against Arab culture and identity, the Islamic faith, and citizens and residents of Arab, Muslim, and foreign backgrounds, while drawing upon the Dutch experience in acknowledging the colonial past, historical research, legal reform, public education, and official apology, in a manner that strengthens the culture of equality and respect for human dignity.
4. Dutch academic, human rights, and social institutions to conduct independent studies on the extent to which certain individuals and local institutions respond to Mr. Wilders’ racist and extremist rhetoric, to assess its psychological, social, and economic impacts on migrants, refugees, and minority communities, and to examine its implications for social cohesion and the principle of equality before the law.

In conclusion, the AOHR-NE reaffirms that respect for international law, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination, and the accountability of those responsible for gross human rights violations constitute fundamental principles that should not be subject to political or ideological considerations, and that the protection of these principles is a shared responsibility incumbent upon states, institutions, and individuals.