The Dutch Labor party, the second largest party in the coalition government led by the centrist CDA party, has called for an economic boycott against Israel if the Netanyahu-Lieberman government refuses to pursue peace.

Labor party leader Martijn van Dam has stated that his party will take their recommendation to Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen [CDA] next week. Van Dam stated that Israel must take “concrete” steps to bring about peace, and that includes talking to Hamas. Van Dam lamented that Hamas was listed as a terrorist group by the European Union.

Van Dam also condemned Israel’s new far-right and racist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as “an extremist who is on the brink of racism.”

Noting the Lieberman-Netanyahu government, Van Dam added, “This is not a government with much prospect for peace.”

Whether the Labor can get the CDA to agree to a boycott remains uncertain for now and probably unlikely since the foreign minister has a reputation for supporting Israel.

“The only one who thinks that the positions of the Israeli government will not have any consequences is Maxim Verhagen,” van Dam stated.

It will be interested to see how discussions will progress.