On 25 August, the President of the GCMHP Board of Directors, Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, met the Dutch Foreign Minister, Mr. Jozias van Aartsen, in the presidential guest palace in Gaza.  Mr. Aartsen and Dr. El-Sarraj discussed the impasse in the peace process and agreed on the historic chance to bring peace to the Middle East after decades of war and conflict.

Dr. Eyad stressed the vital role of the EU and Holland in bringing about a just and lasting peace based on the respect of international law and resolutions. He also expressed his fear that this historic chance would be missed as a result of Israeli policies that will throw the region back into conflict.  Dr. El-Sarraj emphasized that progress in the peace process should be parallel to building a democratic Palestinian society that respects human rights and the law. In this regard, Dr. El-Sarraj asked the Dutch Government to increase its support of the Palestinian Authority and non-governmental organizations, especially those working in the field of human rights.

Dr. El-Sarraj highlighted the Israeli human rights violations over the past three decades and the human rights violations in the Palestinian areas.  He also accentuated the importance of respecting people’s basic rights, mentioning amongst other rights the right to freedom of expression and political affiliation.

Dr. El-Sarraj thanked Mr. Aartsen for his visit and for the Dutch support of Palestinian institutions. Mr. Aartsen agreed to increase the Dutch support to some of the GCMHP projects.  He also invited Dr. El-Sarraj to visit the Netherlands at a time to be determined later.