Netherlands Condemns Israel’s Unjustified Action Stripping West Bank Diplomats Of Status

The Netherlands said on Monday it regretted Israel's decision to revoke the diplomatic accreditation of Dutch officials based in the occupied West Bank, a move Israel linked to the Dutch ban on goods from Israeli settlements. Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he deeply regretted what he called an "unnecessary" decision. He added that the Dutch government was weighing its response. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the step on Sunday in a post on X. He said Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, have seven days to return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documents, which puts the deadline at about October 4. After that period, he said, the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted by Israel will expire.

Saar said the Netherlands could continue to represent its interests with the Palestinians from Palestinian Authority territory rather than from territory Israel controls. He described the move as a response to measures intended to harm Israel, and warned that any country acting in a hostile and unilateral manner would lose influence in the region. Berendsen rejected the suggestion that the Dutch measure targets Israel. He said the decision to suspend imports from the occupied territories in the West Bank was "not directed against Israel". It stems, he said, from the obligation under international law not to contribute to an unlawful situation, namely the illegal settlements.

Reports on the Dutch measure point to a 2024 opinion of the International Court of Justice, which found that Israel's occupation and settlement activity in the territories are unlawful, and which said other states should not contribute to them. Israel rejects that view. Around 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside about three million Palestinians, excluding East Jerusalem. The Dutch measure, adopted through a temporary sanctions decree published on July 21, took effect on September 22. It bans the import, purchase and sale of goods wholly or partly produced in settlements the Dutch government considers unlawful, and it also covers brokerage services and attempts to circumvent the rules. It applies to travellers' luggage as well, including souvenirs and gifts.

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Dutch authorities say it does not apply to goods produced within Israel's internationally recognised borders, and that normal trade with Israel continues. Deliberate violations can carry a prison sentence of up to six years, though prosecutors have said they will focus on systematic and deliberate breaches. Enforcement may prove difficult, since products such as dates and oranges are often sold through supply chains that do not clearly identify where they were grown. Dutch supermarket chains say they have set up procedures to check the origin of their products. The decision is the latest in a widening dispute. Last month, Israel removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, citing what it called Dutch government actions against Israel. Earlier in September, Israel ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which serves as Britain's channel to the Palestinian Authority, after London announced similar sanctions on settlement goods.

Many countries, including the Netherlands, have diplomats who represent their governments to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah while living in East Jerusalem, and Israel has traditionally accredited them. The enforcement of the Dutch ban has also drawn criticism in Israel and the United States. Passengers arriving at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport from Tel Aviv have reported additional luggage checks, which Dutch Customs says are based on risk assessments and not on nationality or religion. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the checks "insane" in a post on X. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the situation was a diplomatic failure by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Dutch government has said it acted to meet its legal obligations, and it has not yet said how it will respond to the Israeli decision.

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