Wilders, the most politically powerful man in the Netherlands, who at the age of 17 came to live and volunteer in a kibbutz, fell in love and stayed in Israel for two years, continued to come and visit Israel 40 times during the 25 years after he returned to the Netherlands, became the most enthusiastic supporter of Israel on every possible stage. If it weren’t for Israel, the struggle of Islamic terrorism would have progressed more towards Europe. According to him, the free Western nations must show “deep gratitude” to Israel.
Geert Wilders is a Dutch businessman and politician who serves as a member of the Dutch Parliament and a veteran affiliated with the right. He heads the Party for Freedom (PVV), which he founded and heads. His party came first in the elections held in the country last November.
Wilders’ party, known as a harsh critic of Islam and opposed to Muslim immigration to the Netherlands, won the most seats in the parliament and recorded one of the surprising political coups in Europe in recent years, with the second largest party holding only 25 seats.
Wilders can be defined as one of the most enthusiastic political leaders of the State of Israel. He recently issued a statement of support for Israel and criticized the United Nations and the United States for their conduct towards Israel in the war against Hamas. As the leader of the largest party in the Netherlands, his party issued a statement of support for Israel, after the vote in the Security Council that called for a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, without the demand for the release of hostages.
Willards himself published a message on social media in which he read: “Stand firm, friends of the Israelis, persevere in the war against Hamas. The UN, the United States and Europe do not understand that you are fighting a war for your existence, a war against the dark forces of hatred and destruction called Hamas. I will always support you.”
Wilders’ announcement comes after another blow from the international community, which voted in favor of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during the month of Ramadan, and did not call for the release of the abductees as a condition for the implementation of the ceasefire.
Wilders sees Israel as a single democracy, surrounded by Islamic nations, which is the West’s first line of defense. If it weren’t for Israel, the struggle of Islamic terrorism would have progressed more towards Europe. According to him, the reason for the conflict is not any act of Israel against the Palestinians, or the US invasion of Iraq, but is an inherent part of Islam. Therefore, the lawlessness of Israel and its elimination, not only will not solve the problem, but will be a shot of encouragement to Islam. According to him, the free Western nations must show “deep gratitude” to Israel.
Wilders’ warm and close relationship with Israel
Wilders lived in Israel from the age of 17 to 19 and worked in bread factories in Moshav Tomer in the Jordan Valley.
He said that even during another twenty-five years he managed to visit Israel about forty times.
In an election speech in Tel Aviv in 2003, he stated that he felt a special connection with Israel, and that when he arrived there he immediately felt at home. According to him, he visited many interesting places in the Middle East, but nowhere did he feel the special brotherhood he felt in Israel.
Wilders also spoke (with the German newspaper Der Spiegel) about the “possible” Jewish background of his ancestors, implying his father or mother – from the Meir family.
On May 8, 2008, Wilders stated that he fully supports the views of revisionist Zionism.
In June 2009, Wilders stated in a conversation with the Haaretz newspaper that he was concerned about the crumbling support for Israel. According to him, Israel is the “pioneer” of the West and in this capacity is Europe’s first defense belt against the “advanced wave of Islamization”. He added that Europe did not understand this and the European Union remains “one-sided against Israel”.
In December 2016, Wilders was investigated by the Dutch secret service on suspicion of having ties with Israel that could pose a “threat to the national security of the Netherlands”.
In March 2017, he said in an interview with Channel 2 that the ties between Israel and the Netherlands would strengthen if he managed to form a coalition, but in the end his party came in second place and won 20 out of 150 seats in the Dutch House of Representatives. Only more than six years later – in the November 2023 elections, Wilders’ party became the largest party – with 37 seats, and immediately began to hold talks with the other parties in the Netherlands to form a coalition under his leadership.
After the decision of the President of the United States Donald Trump (which was finally annulled by the American court) to deny entry visas to the citizens of 7 Muslim countries, Wilders claimed the hypocrisy of the camps of the European and American left, who on the one hand condemned Trump’s decision, but on the other hand completely ignore the ban on Israelis entering their territories of many Muslim countries.
Wilders spoke in the past: “We must stand by every people and every nation that is threatened by the Islamic Jihad, but especially if you will allow me – we must stand by a country that I love so much – which is the State of Israel. Let’s be honest, Israel is a beacon in a sea of Islamic darkness. I lived in Israel for several years. It felt like home. This is our house. It is the only democracy in the Middle East. And this is the only country in the region that shares our values. Let us never forget that.
And its conflict with Islam is not over land – you will not solve it by exchanging land, it is over ideology – it is a conflict over ideology, it is a conflict between freedom and tyranny. Israel is the ‘canary in the coal mine’. If Islam conquers Israel, we will be next in line. And Huntington was wrong: there is no clash of civilizations, there is a clash between our civilization and barbarism. This is the reality.”
On January 28, 2024 he tweeted “No more money to UNRWA. Never again.” In support of Israel and the cessation of Dutch funding to UNRA following evidence presented by Israel to the US that UNRA employees participated in the surprise attack on Israel.
