In Israel, Dutch foreign minister vows to fight BDS, anti-Semitism

Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra tells President Reuven Rivlin that his country will work against anti-Semitism and efforts to boycott Israel.

During a working meeting at the president’s Jerusalem residence, Zijlstra says The Netherlands is “opposed to BDS and strongly opposed to anti-Semitism.”

“We will fight them,” he says.

In earlier remarks, Rivlin thanks Zijlstra for Dutch efforts to combat anti-Semitism, warning that it has been legitimized by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

“We appreciate very much the attitude of your government toward anti-Semitism, and I want to also emphasize that BDS in some places is part of the wave of anti-Semitism, and we have to be very worried about those waves that come from time to time,” Rivlin says.