First Greece, now Palestine – Europe prevaricates. The Dutch exploit immigrant workers from Eastern Europe – but not for long. Going gun shopping? First, get a declaration that you’re sane. Gay hate continues in the Netherlands. A mixed bag of predominantly domestic stories in today’s dailies.

The dysfunctional EU family
A whole week long European diplomats pored over the text of a joint EU declaration on the status of human rights in Israel and the Palestinian territories for the UN Human Rights Council.

Just as everything was supposedly worked out and a balanced tone found, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal kicked up a stink about the wording, reports NRC Handelsblad on its front page.

Mr Rosenthal got on to the Dutch ambassador in Geneva right before the UN debate was about to begin and demanded “the two-state solution, the arrest of human rights activists by Israel and the destruction of Palestinian houses be scrapped from the text”.

NRC refers to a report in German magazine Der Spiegel, which stresses Mr Rosenthal’s own Jewish background and the fact that he’s married to an Israeli woman.

Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn was incensed “and assumes the Dutch standpoint has been heavily influenced by [Geert Wilder’s] Freedom Party.” It seems the anti-Islam politician is name-checked at the slightest mention of a Muslim.

“As a Luxembourg minister it’s none of my business if Geert Wilders plays a prominent role in domestic politics … But if his ‘philosophy’ starts to gain a European dimension, then it becomes a problem,” Mr Asselborn growls in the paper.

In the end, the text the group had originally agreed upon was signed by only six European states, among them countries who are currently not even on the Human Rights Council.

Yet another shining example of the dysfunctional family.

Dodgy job agencies exploit eastern immigrants
Some 18,000 immigrant workers from former Eastern Bloc countries were expected when the Netherlands opened up its borders in 2007.

But they came in droves – between 200,000 and 300,000 – and the immigrant worker from Eastern Europe is going to be a permanent fixture here, reports de Volkskrant. But one thing is sure – the Dutch streets were not paved with golden cheese. A parliamentary commission has investigated the situation since 2007.

“The commission is horrified by the by the large number of dubious job agencies and the bad – at times deplorable – living conditions of the workers,” says commission chairman Ger Koopmans who wants to shut down the 5,000-6,000 dodgy agencies within two years.

The migrant workers are underpaid and exploited by landlords. “The Netherlands can’t just sit back and discuss and consult. It’s time for action,” says the commission.

Social Affairs and Employment Minister Henk Kamp says the report underpins his own policy. But he’s also doing some number-crunching calculations and wants another change in the current system. “Newcomers should only be able to claim social welfare assistance after five years. It’s currently one year because of European regulations.”

Gun laws under fire
The criteria for evaluating whether someone is suitable to be issued a gun permit are to be reversed: instead of the police having to unearth skeletons in the applicant’s closet, it’s now up to the wannabe gun owner to prove he or she is sound in the head.

“A parliamentary majority and Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten want to reverse the responsibility on providing proof,” writes De Telegraaf. The applicant has to produce medical documents showing there is no history of mental illness.

MPs were “shocked” by revelations about Tristan van der Vlis who went on a killing spree in a shopping centre in a town outside Amsterdam last April. It turns out that Van der Vlis – who also shot himself in the drama – was getting psychiatric treatment when he applied for a weapon and even had suicidal tendencies. But the psychiatrists kept silent because of a confidentiality agreement.

AD argues that Van der Vlis should not have been permitted to own a gun, according to a special inquiry committee, which accuses the police of being “too lax”. Issuing a permit “became more and more an administrative transaction,” says the committee.

Gays ostracised in tolerant Holland
Today’s papers abound in gay-bashing stories. De Telegraaf gives coverage to a homosexual couple forced to flee their home because of intimidation by a gang of local children. Besides hurling abuse at the couple, the children urinated in their garden, damaged their car and threw eggs at the windows.

“But the worst was when they threatened to burn down our shop. This was the final straw,” says one of the victims, pictured with his poodle on a white armchair.

The plight of a homo teacher who was sacked from a Calvinist school in the town of Oegstgeest is on the same page. The teacher says he’s a “practising Christian who always enjoyed his work at the school.” Yesterday, he lodged an official complaint at the Dutch Equal Treatment Commission. The director of the Dr. K. Schilderschool “refrained from commenting”.

Wilders gets publicity from gay attacks
Trouw writes that Gay Krant (“Gay Newspaper”) claims more than 60 serious cases of intimidation of homosexuals or lesbians were reported at its newly-opened hotline this week. In anonymous mails, gays tell how “they’ve been spat on or had dog poo thrown through their letter box.” “We more or less live in a war zone with boarded up windows,” laments another.

Who are the perpetrators? Nrc.next points out that while proportionally-speaking there are more gay-bashers among immigrant Moroccans, figures show that 64 percent of crimes against gays are committed by the ethnic Dutch. In Amsterdam, 16 percent of youths have a Moroccan background.

But Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party is deliberately creating the impression in the media – also on Twitter – that Moroccans are the main culprit to gain public currency. Nrc.next claims the statistics from the University of Amsterdam tell another story.