Necva Tastan Sevinc
15 May 2026•Update: 15 May 2026
A Dutch human rights organization said Friday that it will file a complaint against lawmaker Gidi Markuszower over remarks calling for the use of “maximum force” against Palestinian asylum seekers from Gaza.
The Rights Forum said the statements made by Markuszower in a video published by left-wing activist media platform Left Laser amounted to incitement to violence against Palestinians, the Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.
The organization described the remarks as “morally reprehensible” and said they should be reviewed by prosecutors in a democratic constitutional state.
The controversy stems from interviews conducted by Left Laser with Dutch lawmakers and Migration Minister David van den Brink about the possible admission of Palestinian refugees from Gaza and Greece.
In excerpts published online, Markuszower, leader of the far-right Markuszower Group, said Palestinians from Gaza should not be allowed into Europe and could remain in “Arabia” or “wither away” in Gaza.
He also claimed that Palestinians in Gaza have brought destruction upon themselves, alleging that most Gazans support Hamas.
In another clip, Markuszower said: “The Dutch government must stop them by force, perhaps with even more force than where they came from.”
When asked whether the Netherlands should use more force than Israel, he replied: “The maximum force.”
Markuszower later said on US social media company X that “appropriate force” is already used at Dutch borders when people fail to follow instructions from border police, adding: “If necessary, maximum force.”
The remarks drew criticism across the Dutch political spectrum.
Frans Timmermans, leader of the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance, described the comments as “deeply abhorrent language” and “an absolute low point.”
D66 party leader Rob Jetten also condemned the remarks, calling them “dangerous.”
VVD parliamentary leader Sophie Hermans said politicians carry “great responsibility” and that such statements are inappropriate.
The Rights Forum, founded by former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt, advocates for Palestinian rights and has previously criticized Dutch political support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
