According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Dutch lawmaker Esther Ouwehand was asked to leave a parliamentary session after she appeared at a budget debate dressed in an outfit resembling the Palestinian flag.
Her speech was interrupted by Parliament Speaker Martin Bosma, who objected to her attire. “It is offensive that you are standing here with that flag,” he said, instructing her to change clothes before returning to the chamber.
Ouwehand, leader of the Party for the Animals, resisted the request at first. She argued that her clothing did not violate any parliamentary rules. “I want to deliver my speech without changing clothes,” she responded, noting that the regulations did not prohibit wearing a dress with the colors red, green, white, and black.
Despite her objections, Ouwehand was eventually pressured to leave the floor. She later rejoined the debate wearing a shirt decorated with a watermelon pattern—a design that has become a widely recognized emblem of solidarity with Palestinians on social media platforms.
Parliament officials later issued clarification on the incident, stressing that the legislative chamber must remain politically neutral. They explained that overt displays of political symbols, such as national flags, contravene the parliamentary code of conduct.
The episode highlighted the sensitivity of expressing political views within official institutions, particularly amid heightened international debate over the conflict in Gaza. For supporters of Ouwehand, her action was a symbolic gesture of solidarity, while critics viewed it as a breach of decorum in a space intended to remain impartial.
The brief standoff reflected a growing tension in European politics between free expression and institutional rules designed to keep parliamentary proceedings neutral. See, More, Here>>>>
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