Tag: netherlands

United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada Will Now Join US to Keep the Strait of Hormuz Open

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada have now signaled they will join the United States in a coalition to secure and keep open the critical Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil chokepoint the bloodthirsty Iranian regime has turned into a terrorist kill zone.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, the radical Islamic mullahs in Tehran launched a desperate campaign of economic terrorism after U.S. and Israeli strikes hammered their nuclear sites and terror infrastructure.

Iran mined the strait, attacked unarmed commercial vessels, targeted oil facilities, and effectively closed the waterway that carries nearly 20-25% of the world’s oil supply.

President Trump refused to let America shoulder the entire burden alone. He blasted the freeloading “allies,” took to Truth Social, and demanded that nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil step up and send warships.

“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump said.

He even threatened to “finish off” Iran and let NATO and Asia handle the mess if they wouldn’t get in gear. As we reported, the initial responses from Europe were weak and uninspiring, classic globalist foot-dragging.

Now, with Iran’s attacks growing more brazen and the Strait’s security directly tied to global oil flows, those same allies are signaling that they are prepared to stand with the United States.

That does not yet mean all seven countries have announced warship deployments.

The joint statement so far supports that they have formally backed efforts to keep passage open and are ready to contribute, while some governments are still working through what their exact role will be.

Britain, for example, has been publicly discussing possible deployments, including ships and mine-countermeasure assets, but final national commitments appear to remain in motion.

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Amsterdam: Explosion at Jewish school condemned by mayor as ‘deliberate attack against the Jewish community’

A bomb has gone off in a Jewish school in the capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, in “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community,” according to the city’s mayor.

Mayor Femke Halsema said in a Saturday press release that an overnight explosion in a residential area on the south side of the city, which caused some damage to the school.

“This is a cowardly act of aggression toward the Jewish community,” Halsema said. “I understand the fear and anger of Jewish Amsterdammers. They are increasingly confronted with antisemitism, and that is unacceptable.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Halsema reported that police obtained Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance footage of an individual planting the explosive near Cheider, a Jewish school.

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New Government of the Netherlands Is a Poster Boy for Europe’s Thirst for War

Warfare seems to be top of mind not only for the Trump administration, but also for the new government of the Netherlands. The coalition agreement of the Jetten I cabinet, installed in late February, presents an unprecedented push towards militarism that includes a doubling of the defense budget, a tax on freedom, royals in fullcamo gear and clear steps towards the reintroduction of forced conscription.

Cabinet Jetten I
“Aan de slag,” which roughly translates to “Let’s get to work,” is the title of the coalition agreement of the new Jetten I government, comprised of the progressive liberals of D66, led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the conservative liberals of VVD and the Christian Democrats, CDA. As a rare minority government – the second in the country’s history – it has only 66 out of 150 mandates in Parliament and a mere 22 out of 75 in the Senate and will therefore be completely reliant on opposition support for its various proposals. Nonetheless, it did not shy away from presenting far-reaching objectives in nearly all policy areas, first and foremost defense.

Never mind that “getting to work” might be a bit late for a cabinet comprised of three parties of which at least one or more were part of every single cabinet since 1971 (not counting various predecessors of current parties, which would bring the count back to 1918). Indeed, although D66 is currently the largest party in Parliament with 26 mandates, it was the VVD under current NATO Secretary General, then Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, that led the Netherlands from 2010 until 2024, when he left to take on his current role at NATO.

Hawks lead the way
The echo of Mark Rutte is clearly heard through the new cabinet’s choice of Minister of Defense: none other than his own successor, VVD party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz, now holds the post. Other remarkable choices include the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, CDA-member Tom Berendsen, who was previously an MP in the European Parliament and, with a background in industrial policy, ran his own election campaign (in the 2024 European elections) mainly on stressing the importance of the European defense industry in relation to the war in Ukraine. Moreover, he is known for his hawkish stance on China. This pair is completed by the new Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, D66-member Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who will have to navigate promoting Dutch trade whilst being on both Russian and Chinese sanctions lists simultaneously. Notably, in 2022, Sjoerdsma was also the initiator of an adopted parliamentary motion to increase the Netherlands’ defense spending to NATO’s then 2% of GDP standard (a goal that the country had thus far failed to meet), underlining his forward leaning position in terms of defense.

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Dutch farmers protest across the country in response to proposed environmental laws

Farmers all across the Netherlands have banded together in recent weeks to protest newly proposed emission cuts that would devastate the livestock industry, with farmers shutting down major city centers, distribution centers, airports, and more across the small European country.

On Tuesday evening, police fired upon farmers in their tractors.

Police said that they were responding to a “threatening situation” in which farmers were attempting to drive their tractors into officers and service vehicles at just before 11 pm.

According to Friesland police, officers issued warning shots as well as more targeted shots.

One tractor was shot, with the tractor being stopped shortly after. Three people were arrested, and no injuries were reported.

Due to shots being fired, The Rijksrecherche, the Dutch government’s internal investigator, has been requested to conduct an investigation into the matter.

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AI FLOP: Dutch Court Annules Couple’s Marriage Over ChatGPT Speech

It may have been artificial, but in this case, it was not intelligent.

We live in a world where the power of Artificial Intelligence is starting to impact many aspects of our lives – and not always for the best.

Case in point: a Dutch couple had their marriage annulled after the person officiating used a ChatGPT-generated speech.

Yes, you read it right.

The AI speech that was intended to be ‘playful’ but authorities decided that ‘it failed to meet legal requirements.’

This was announced in a court ruling published this week.

Reuters reported:

“The pair from the city of Zwolle, whose names were redacted from the January 5 decision under Dutch privacy rules, argued that they had intended to marry regardless of whether the right wording was used when they took their vows.

According to the decision, the person officiating their ceremony last April 19 asked whether they would ‘continue supporting each other, teasing each other and embracing each other, even when life gets difficult’.”

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Dutch scientists discover ancient cannabis enzyme with pain-relief potential

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) reported a discovery that an ancient ancestor of the cannabis plant produced a compound with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, opening potential new avenues for medical use.

The team investigated how compounds like THC, CBD, and CBC emerged in cannabis. To do this, they reconstructed extinct enzymes that were active millions of years ago in the plant’s ancestors. These enzymes are crucial in producing cannabinoid compounds.

“In modern cannabis plants, specific enzymes produce cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, and CBC,” WUR researcher Robin van Velzen told NU.nl. “But the ancestral enzymes could produce multiple cannabinoids simultaneously.”

These “ancestral enzymes” are simpler to produce in microorganisms, such as yeast, compared with their modern counterparts, making them easier to harness.

“These ancestral enzymes are more robust and flexible than their descendants, making them very attractive starting points for biotechnology and medicine,” Velzen said.

One enzyme of particular interest produces a high level of CBC, a cannabinoid known for anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. “Currently, no cannabis plant produces high levels of CBC, so introducing this enzyme into a plant could lead to innovative medicinal varieties,” Van Velzen said.

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Bill Gates, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Ordered to Testify in Dutch COVID Vaccine Injury Lawsuit

Bill Gates and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla will have to appear in person in the Netherlands to testify at a hearing in a COVID-19 vaccine injury lawsuit, a Dutch court ruled late last month.

The court order relates to a lawsuit filed in 2023 by seven people injured by COVID-19 vaccines. One of the victims has since died.

The lawsuit centers around the question “of whether the COVID-19 injections are a bioweapon,” Dutch newspaper De Andere Krant reported. In addition to Gates and Bourla, the suit names 15 other defendants, including former Dutch prime minister and current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Dutch state, and several Dutch public health officials and journalists.

De Andere Krant said last month’s ruling “is a significant setback for the defendants, who are accused of misleading victims about the ‘safety and effectiveness’ of the vaccines.” However, it “remains to be seen” whether the defendants will comply with the court’s order and appear at next year’s hearing.

The defendants may face additional legal challenges in Dutch courts in the new year. A second lawsuit, filed in March by three COVID-19 vaccine injury victims in the Netherlands, presents a similar set of allegations and names the same defendants.

At a press conference last week, Dutch attorney Peter Stassen, who represents the vaccine-injured plaintiffs in both cases, earlier this month petitioned the courts in both cases to hear in-person testimony by five expert witnesses regarding the safety and efficacy of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

According to Stassen, oral hearings will be held in both cases next year, but hearing dates have not yet been scheduled. Stassen seeks to consolidate the cases.

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Drones spotted near Dutch military base

Unidentified drones have been observed hovering over a military base used by Nato in the Netherlands, the Dutch defence ministry has said.

It said military personnel deployed weapons to try to take down the drones spotted near Volkel Air Base, north of Eindhoven, between 19:00 and 21:00 local time (18:00-20:00 GMT) on Friday.

The defence ministry said the devices “departed and were never recovered”.

The Netherlands is among a number of northern European nations to be blighted by drone sightings around military installations and airfields in recent months. Russia has denied accusations it was involved in previous incidents.

Dutch police are investigating Friday’s incident. Officials said that for security reasons they would provide no further details about how the drones or what action was taken.

As well as being used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Volkel Air Base hosts a US Air Force squadron as part of Nato.

The incident follows reports of drone sightings at other Dutch air bases in the past few weeks, as well as facilities in neighbouring Belgium, Denmark and Germany.

The sightings have disrupted air traffic and raised security concerns.

A lack of evidence pointing to their origins has plagued investigations into the incidents since they began in September, as in many cases the drones depart after a while.

Some European officials have attributed the sightings to “hybrid warfare” on the part of Russia, as the nations that have been targeted are all allied to Ukraine.

But the Kremlin has denied it has anything to do with past incursions.

Defence ministers from 10 EU countries have agreed to create a “drone wall” in response to the sightings, while some individual nations have sought to secure anti-drone defence measures.

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Dutch court upholds arms exports to Israel despite acknowledging ‘grave risk’ of genocide

A Dutch appeals court on 6 November confirmed the dismissal of a case filed by pro-Palestinian organizations demanding that the Netherlands end arms exports to Israel and cease trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In its written judgment, the court said it was not within the judiciary’s authority to dictate such measures, stating that the decision lies with the government.

The plaintiffs argued that as a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, the Dutch state is obliged to take all available steps to prevent genocide, citing Israel’s ongoing mass killing of civilians in Gaza. 

The court agreed that the Netherlands holds that legal obligation and acknowledged “a grave risk” that Israel is committing genocide.

However, the judges maintained that the government already evaluates the risk of human rights abuses before approving military exports and noted that some applications have been denied.

The court also upheld an earlier ruling from December last year that sided with the Dutch state, which claimed it had taken sufficient precautions and halted certain shipments.

The pro-Palestine groups had alleged that Dutch companies supplied Israel with radar systems, F-16 components, warship equipment, police dogs, surveillance cameras, and software. 

The government countered that it has stopped most arms exports to Israel and now only authorizes deliveries of parts used in defensive systems such as the Iron Dome.

Israel has rejected all accusations of genocide, despite a UN inquiry officially announcing it in mid-September, insisting its Gaza campaign targets Hamas.

The appeals court concluded that the pro-Palestine organizations failed to demonstrate that the state systematically neglects its obligations when assessing export risks and therefore could not justify a blanket ban on arms or dual-use items.

Despite their public condemnations of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, European nations remain the largest buyers of Israeli-made weapons, purchasing over $8 billion worth last year, according to Bloomberg. 

Demand is projected to grow further as NATO members prepare to raise defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035.

The move is heavily dependent on Israel’s deeply integrated defense industries, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

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From Humanoid Encounters to Ultra-Secret Units: Mind-Bending UFO and Alien Accounts from the Netherlands!

When people think of the Netherlands, they might likely conjure up images of rides along the canals, tulips fields and windmills, or even the coffee houses that can be found in most towns and cities throughout the country. The fact is, though, the Netherlands can boast of some of the most thought-provoking and intriguing UFO and alien encounters on record, ranging from encounters with strange, humanoid figures, to sightings over air bases, and bizarre close encounters that span decades and involve some kind of strange secret security services. Moreover, these incidents continue to be reported today.

While we will explore several encounters from this side of the start of the Modern UFO Era, UFO sightings and encounters with strange humanoid entities in the Netherlands stretch back decades, at the very least.

Perhaps one of the earliest comes from the research files of Albert Rosales, and occurred in Heiden at around 10 pm on July 2nd, 1905, when a man named Soufian woke in the middle of the night to find he was looking down on himself lying in bed. As if that wasn’t strange enough, next to him was the female humanoid figure, who wore long robes and had pale grey skin. Then, the figure somehow moved directly over the top of him and was reaching towards his chest. The next thing he knew, he could feel an intense pain in his chest, almost as if this strange figure was parting his ribcage. Even though he was viewing this from above, when he tried to move he was unable to do so, suspecting he was somehow paralyzed.

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