[HILAC Lecture] The F-35 parts export case: International legal implications

On 12 February 2024, the Appeals Court of The Hague ruled that the Netherlands should, within seven days, stop all export and transit of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel. The Court found that there was a clear risk that Israel’s F-35s will be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law in the ongoing armed conflict in Gaza. After the judgment, the Dutch state announced that it would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, and the hearing in this case took place on 6 September. Join us on 26 November at the Asser Institute for a HILAC Lecture on these ongoing proceedings and their wider international legal implications. 

The Dutch F-35 case, in which the legal proceedings were started by NGOs (Pax, Oxfam Novib, and the Rights Forum), represents a wider trend in which civil society attempts to hold states accountable for the transfer of arms. There have been several cases throughout Europe and beyond in which NGOs seek to invoke states’ international legal obligations to prevent them from allowing the transfer of F-35 parts to Israel (for example, in Denmark). These cases highlight the utmost relevance of the international legal framework governing arms transfers and exports. 

Against this backdrop, this HILAC Lecture will provide a platform for subject matter experts to share their views on the applicable international legal framework and how this relates to the current F-35 case. 

Please note that this event will not be recorded. 

Our speakers

• Assistant Professor Joëlle Trampert (University of Amsterdam)
• Johanna Trittenbach (Leiden University)
• Associate Professor Joop Voetelink (Netherlands Defence Academy)
• Professor Marten Zwanenburg (University of Amsterdam and the Netherlands Defence Academy)