A Test of Conscience: Dutch F-35 Case Pits Morality Against Realpolitik

A case before the Dutch Supreme Court has become a national test of conscience, pitting moral and legal arguments against the realpolitik of international relations. The court’s decision will determine if the Netherlands must ban the export of F-35 parts to Israel over its conduct in the Gaza war.
The moral argument, championed by human rights groups, is that the Netherlands cannot stand by and facilitate the supply of military hardware being used in a campaign that has killed tens of thousands of civilians. They argue that the law is on their side, requiring a halt to the shipments.
The government’s realpolitik counterargument is that the Netherlands is a small player in a large geopolitical game. It claims that a ban would be a symbolic but ineffective gesture that could damage its vital relationship with the United States, which owns the F-35 parts.
An appeals court in February 2024 came down firmly on the side of the moral and legal argument, imposing the ban. The government’s appeal to the Supreme Court is an attempt to reassert the primacy of pragmatic political calculation.
As the court prepares its judgment, the devastating consequences of the war that began on October 7 continue to unfold. The Dutch decision will be seen as a statement of the nation’s values and its role in a world grappling with a profound crisis.