Career
He was State Secretary for Defense for the Christian Democratic Appeal ( Capital Development Authority). After attending a MULO school, Van der Knaap worked for Vroom & Dreesmann. Between 1970 and 1975 he served as an enlisted soldier in the Royal Netherlands Army.
After that he worked for the customs service.
In 2002 he became State Secretary for Defense in the First Balkenende cabinet, a post he has held until 2008, even though there were considerable mutations between the second Balkenende cabinet, the third cabinet Balkenende and the Fourth Balkenende cabinet. Van der Knaap is a trustee of January Peter Balkenende, and has been an important contact between the cabinet and the trade unions in times of crisis.
Van der Knaap has become mayor of Ede in 2008, his successor as State Secretary was Jack de Vries.
