Let me be clear from the start: I do not support the way Israel’s government has conducted this war. Netanyahu’s policies have been morally indefensible, from obstructing aid to the destruction of entire neighborhoods. But that’s exactly why I stayed away from The Hague today, because I believe protests should stand on principle, not mirror the same one-sidedness they claim to oppose.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in The Hague for a human rights march against Israel’s actions in Gaza, as reported by Dutch national broadcaster NOS. Dressed in red, they formed a symbolic ‘red line’, a visually striking protest against war and the Dutch government’s stance. But a closer look revealed what was missing: nuance, context, and a moral compass willing to face complexity on both sides.

I stayed away, not out of indifference, but because I refuse to join a movement that claims to defend human rights while doing so with glaring selectivity. A protest that stays silent on Hamas’ atrocities, ignores the Israeli hostages still held in captivity, and overlooks the resurgence of antisemitism across Europe and the Middle East is not a protest for human rights.

This resurgence has been confirmed in both a 2023 EU study, which found that Jews in the Netherlands experience above-average levels of antisemitism, and a 2025 statement by the Dutch National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, which reported a sharp rise in incidents since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

When such a protest loudly condemns only Israel, while omitting this broader context, it becomes a performance of principle that collapses under its own selectivity.

The march was organized by well-known groups: Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Oxfam Novib. But those who have followed their public statements in recent months know that their outrage rarely runs both ways. Hamas is barely mentioned. Israeli hostages are invisible in their campaigns.

The context in which Israel defends itself is increasingly pushed to the background, despite the devastating and tragic Palestinian death toll since October. That context includes the October 7 attack, in which 1,200 people were slaughtered. This was meticulously documented by Haaretz and supported by eyewitness accounts reported by Reuters. That complexity must remain visible, even when it makes people uncomfortable.

The same dynamic played out during the demonstration. No signs bearing the names of the remaining hostages. No minute of silence for the murdered festivalgoers of Re’im. No condemnation of Hamas’ use of hospitals or schools for military purposes.

The red line was not drawn against hostage-taking. Yet Amnesty International, often cited by these very organizations, reported that Palestinian fighters abducted 223 civilians,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)