Worried About International Violations Of Law, Dutch Court Bans Exports Of F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets To Israel

Israeli F-35 fighter jets. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

JAKARTA - The Dutch appeals court ordered the country's government to block all exports of F-35 stealth fighter jet parts to Israel, granting human rights organizations requests.

"Undeniably, there is a clear risk that exported F-35 parts are used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said.

It said the government had to comply with the ruling within seven days, and rejected a government attorney's request to suspend the order pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The government said it would appeal to the Supreme Court, because the order violated the country's responsibility to formulate its own foreign policy.

Trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen said F-35 fighter jets are critical to Israel's security and its ability to protect itself from threats in the region, "for example from Iran, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon".

Van Leeuwen said it was too early to say what the decision would have to do with Israel.

"We are part of a large consortium of countries that are also working with Israel, we will talk to partners how to deal with this," he explained.

"The decision to file an appeal has nothing to do with the "very concerning" situation in Gaza," he added.

Separately, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy was unable to comment specifically on the case, but said they expected his allies "to stand firm on our side as we struggle to bring Hamas to justice after the October 7 attack".

Previously, a lawsuit against the Dutch government was filed by several human rights groups, including the Dutch-affiliated Oxfam, last December.

In the first ruling in December, a low Dutch court did not order the Dutch government to stop exports, although the court said it was likely that the F-35 contributed to violations of war laws.

However, lower courts ruled the country has great freedom in considering political issues and policies to decide on arms exports.

"We hope this decision will strengthen international law in other countries so that Gazans are also protected by international law," Oxfam Director Novib Michiel Servaes said in a statement.

It is known that US F-35 fighter jet parts are stored in warehouses in the Netherlands and then shipped to several partners, including Israel, through existing export agreements.