International

Government propaganda should be strictly separated from other television programmes, argues SP Member of Parliament and media spokesman Jasper van Dijk. Minister of Education and Culture Ronald Plasterk said during today's parliamentary question time, in answer to a question from Van Dijk, that he would be looking into the matter of government subsidies in this area. Parliament itself has the power to alter these rules, however, and Van Dijk is concerned also by the waste of taxpayers' money involved in the lame and meaningless government campaigns

SP Member of Parliament and spokesman on foreign affairs Harry van Bommel is urging Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen to make clear to the Israeli ambassador the Dutch government's displeasure at the cutting off of fuel supplies to Gaza. The embargo has led to the shutting down of the power station supplying a major part of the population with electricity. Daily life has ground to a halt, while hospitals face major problems and the UN is warning of a humanitarian crisis.