Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, more than a dozen officials across Europe have resigned in protest to their governments’ stance on what many describe as genocide in the besieged enclave.

From lawmakers in Westminster to ministers in Madrid and The Hague, politicians and public figures have stepped down, saying they cannot remain silent over what is happening in Gaza.  

Turkey’s Anadolu news agency has compiled a list of these resignations.

Netherlands: Foreign minister and more

The most recent high-profile resignation occurred in the Netherlands last Saturday, when a dispute over sanctions on Israel led to the collapse of part of the ruling coalition.

Caspar Veldkamp resigned as foreign minister after coalition partners blocked his proposals, which included an embargo on goods from illegal Israeli settlements, a ban on weapons purchases from Israel, travel bans on far-right Israeli ministers, and recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The majority of lawmakers backed only one measure, urging Israel to allow journalists and observers into Gaza.

His resignation triggered a domino effect, with the centrist New Social Contract (NSC) withdrawing all its ministers and state secretaries from the caretaker government. The resignations included the acting deputy prime minister, the interior and education ministers, the health minister and four other cabinet members.

“In short, we are done with it,” NSC leader and former acting Deputy Prime Minister Eddy van Hijum told reporters, calling the Israeli government’s actions “diametrically opposed to international treaties.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed “deep regret” over the resignations and described the worsening situation in Gaza as “dramatic.”
He canceled a planned visit to Ukraine to contain the internal backlash, with a diminished government of just 32 seats out of 150 in parliament remaining after the NSC’s withdrawal.  

UK: Wave of Labour MPs protest Starmer’s position
In the UK, several MPs quit the frontbench after Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, now prime minister, resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire during his time as opposition leader.

Just over a month after the Gaza war began, Labour MP Imran Hussain resigned from Starmer’s shadow ministerial team, saying he wanted to “strongly advocate for a ceasefire” in Gaza. Hussain, who was shadow minister for the New Deal for Working People, said his stance “substantially” differed from Starmer’s.

A week later, Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, quit her role as shadow domestic abuse and safeguarding minister. She was among 56 Labour MPs, including eight members of the shadow Cabinet, who voted for a Scottish National Party amendment to the King’s Speech calling for a ceasefire.

That same day, Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East, also resigned from her post as shadow equalities minister to vote for a ceasefire motion. In her statement, she said she acted “with regret,” but had to “vote with my conscience and on behalf of the thousands of constituents” who urged her to back a ceasefire.

In August 2024, Mark Smith, a senior Foreign Office official based at the British Embassy in Dublin, also resigned in protest over UK arms sales to Israel. He warned the government “may be complicit in war crimes,” saying he had raised concerns “at every level.”

The backlash also spread beyond Westminster.

In local councils, Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif in Oxford, Amna Abdullatif in Manchester, and Altaf Patel in Blackburn all resigned from the party.
Former senior MP Lynne Jones also quit soon after the war began, while Lubaba Khalid, a Palestinian photographer and Young Labour officer, handed in her resignation, citing Starmer’s remarks on Gaza.  

Spain: Podemos ministers abandon coalition government
In Spain, tensions within the coalition deepened after the junior partner Sumar, which included five ministers from the Podemos party, blocked Podemos leader Ione Belarra from speaking during a December 2023 parliamentary debate on Palestine.

Although friction with the coalition had been mounting over other issues, a Podemos source told Spanish outlet Diario Red the move was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Belarra had been one of the fiercest critics of Israel in parliament, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of planning a genocide as early as October 2023.

Instead, Agustin Santos spoke on behalf of Sumar, calling for the government to recognize the State of Palestine, revise any arms agreements with Israel, and for an International Criminal Court investigation. However, he did not use the term “genocide” at that time.

Soon after, all five Podemos lawmakers announced they were leaving the Sumar alliance and the coalition government.  

Ireland: Expert resigns from EU rights body
In Ireland, senior human rights lawyer Michael Farrell resigned mid-July from the Council of Europe’s anti-racism body in protest at what he described as its silence on Gaza.

Farrell, who had served for 14 years as Ireland’s representative on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), said he could no longer serve while the body refused to denounce Israeli attacks.

He said his repeated efforts to raise the issue were suppressed, and when he finally brought a motion before ECRI’s July plenary session, it was defeated as beyond the group’s mandate.

“I felt I could not continue to take part in criticizing states for failing to observe domestic human rights if I could not comment on the appalling attacks in Gaza,” he said.  

Belgium: Coalition at risk
Belgium is also on the verge of its own political showdown.

Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot recently warned that the coalition government risks collapse over Israel’s war on Gaza.

“If the government does not take a tougher stance on human rights violations by the Israeli government or recognize Palestine, there is a risk of a major crisis,” he told daily De Standaard.

Prevot confirmed he will table a memo with proposals at Wednesday’s meeting with Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
He also hinted at using political leverage, saying he would not exclude blocking government decisions if the issue remains unresolved.