Netherlands upholds F-35 parts ban on Israel despite court ruling
The Netherlands has announced it will uphold its ban on exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, despite a Supreme Court ruling that provided the option to reconsider its policy.
The ban on exporting parts for the jets used by Israel in its genocidal Gaza campaign has been in place since February 2024, when an Appeals Court ordered the government to halt exports, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
But earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that this court had overstepped its brief and said it was up to the government, not judges, to set foreign policy.
Supreme Court judges gave the government six weeks to review its policy on export licences, but the decision came in a matter of hours.
"Given the current circumstances, it is unreasonable to resume the export of F-35 components from the Netherlands to Israel at this time," the government said in a statement.
The US-owned F-35 parts are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands, then shipped to several partners, including Israel, via existing export agreements.
The government stressed its commitment to the F-35 programme as "a vital factor in safeguarding our security and that of our allies".
It said it had taken the case to the Supreme Court "because, according to the cabinet, it is up to the state to shape its foreign policy".
However, this step was unrelated to what the government called "the catastrophic situation in Gaza".
"A ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible to end the violence and the suffering of the population, and to release the hostage," said the statement.
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