The UN wants Sigrid Kaag to steer a doomed ship

Is it an honor to be appointed captain of the sinking Titanic?

Being most accomplished, very talented, well-connected, brilliant, highly motivated, much appreciated, and bold might not suffice here.

Ex-Minister of Dutch Foreign Affairs and current demissionary Minister of Finance and previously, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Prize-winning Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag has been appointed the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Construction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip. Long ago, she was the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and even longer ago, for Syria, in which function she led ridding the desperate State of chemical weapons, in two phases.

I feel bad she got a new job anyone but G^d might fail to do successfully, but maybe she’ll surprise us all. Wikipedia has her as a practicing Catholic, and she might need prayer more than ever. (Reportedly, she got married in Jerusalem to a Palestinian diplomate, so both as Muslims or both as Catholics (since Israel still does not have civil marriage), which is hard to find out as even the likely most prominent Christian PA politician hides it.

She’s a bold former diplomate, negotiator, polyglot (Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic), internationally widely esteemed, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Leader of the prime climate political party and its Parliamentarian fraction, wife of a former deputy minister under Arafat (born just outside of Jerusalem in pre-State Mandatory Palestine) and a mother of four, one of which they adopted.

When coalition partner and PM Rutte had lied to Parliament for all to see, Kaag declared that night she had lost all trust in him. At the next coalition negotiations, it took her nine months to get over her disgust and try again.

Earlier this year, the once hopeful to be the Netherlands’ first female PM decided to leave Dutch politics because she’s been threatened and sullied by right-wing activists with a viciousness unseen in the Low Countries. An activist appeared at her front door (not done there) with a burning torch (!), and virtually, on social media, her character was murdered many times over. In particular, she was branded a ‘hautaine heks,‘ haughty witch, a primal sexist insult and threat (!) unheard of in the Netherlands of today.

Superficially, she has the same problem as Hillary Clinton. She comes across as disgustingly arrogant. Only, in her case, at least, it is not from privilege. She seems to work very hard and, on top of it, puts her family first. She had a difficult childhood and young adulthood, which can explain her stone face and defensive tone. No warmth. At the last elections, her party booked a disastrous 15-seat loss (the House has 150 seats).

Yet, her list of accomplishments shows she cares tremendously. People who got to know her clearly ignore her mask and value her commitment, dedication, and tenacity. At a previous big election success, she got on a table and danced with joy showing with her body, what her face won’t.

Obviously, at first, Dutch Jews were not charmed by the wife of an Arafat diplomate. Yet, it seems eventually, she has earned their trust. She even said the recent Kristallnacht commemoration speech. It will be a huge change for Israel to have a UN official in Gaza who’s not an anti-Zionist. She’s for a Two-State Solution, which is more delusional than anti-Israeli.

If one thing could give her hope in her new function is that she managed to lead and succeed in the effort to have Syria’s dictator forgo his stockpile of chemical weapons (a war crime). And when he cheated, she went in again and removed the rest. However, in Gaza, the problem is much larger. Also, in a similar role in Lebanon, she did not succeed in getting Hezbollah to demilitarize the border with Israel, which is now leading us to war.

Chamas too is the enemy of the people of Gaza. But on top of that, it is waging a war and seeking to have its population killed and suffering to show it’s a victim and not a perpetrator of aggression against Israel.

Gazans are the most subsidized people on the planet, but that has only enriched the rulers. Also now, Chamas steals most of the food, cooking oil, and other aid. This, to live in the lap of luxury and to continue the People’s suffering. Assad murdered citizens to keep them powerless. For Chamas the suffering is not a means to submit them but to use them as symbols.

The anti-Zionist modal international press agencies portray the hunger in Gaza as caused by Israel. Insisting that Gazans get aid means you’re the enemy of Chamas and an ally to Israel. Fighting for the People and being a democrat are no ways to endear oneself to Chamas. I wish her good luck.

A veteran The Hague observer told me: At times, I’ve thought she’s a bit too big for the Netherlands. She is more of a diplomat than a politician.

Perhaps, she’s also fleeing the Netherlands possibly under PM Wilders.

There is no shortage of YouTube clips around Kaag. Unfortunately, the clips I saw often show more hype, bluff, and flair than substance or truth:

Kaag led an international convention on banning land mines. Would she still recall that talking with Chamas that liberally scatters around mines?

This is what she showed about her private life three years ago. Nice clip.

More private stuff, all from before the witch hunt started.

Ten years ago, about her Syria work.

Here, she talks to Al Jazeera in English. She uses the common Dutchism of ‘if’ when she means ‘when.’ The Dutch als means both if and when.

Here, she uses the nonsensical ‘is the making of your life or not.’ From the context, I guess she means ‘determines whom you belong to.’ She says ‘generation systems’ when she means generators. Every sentence a mess.

In this in-depth interview, she actually cries hearing her two daughters say they are afraid their mother will be murdered, as was another Dutch female politician of her party. They want her to stop with politics.

This is the Dutch youth news show’s report. I doubt if Gaza will be safer.

Dutch Ally of Jews # 1 asked her why she supported the UN ‘Human Rights Commission’ [the most solid lying Jews-haters around] to discuss Chamas and Israel, and when it condemned Israel, the Dutch only abstained.

She answered that she saw the Commission as capable of independent research of both parties [joke of the century], and that in an explanation of the vote the Netherlands had objected; and also, that in another vote that week in the WHO that disproportionately criticized Israel, the Dutch government had voted against, so it did what Parliament had insisted on.

She might be so naïve to think Chamas runs on Western anger or hatred only, while, in fact, it runs on the false ethics that murdering Jews is good.

Here, she talks in a little appreciated clip from the dictatorship of Jordan as the UNICEF Regional Director Sigrid Kaag. UNICEF is yet another UN institution that seamlessly combines ethical principles with hating Jews.

Some 14 years ago, at least in this editing, she had no trouble highlighting the suffering of Gaza children and ignoring the suffering of Jewish kids. Of course, the sole aggressor named here three times is Israel. It seems she has not insisted that this damning report would be taken down.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. 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