The Netherlands Plans to Ban Imports from Israeli Settlements

The Dutch government is planning to ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories. The decision comes in light of Israel’s planned military actions in the West Bank and its ongoing attacks in Gaza, the Foreign Minister informed parliament.

In July, the Netherlands had already imposed travel bans on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians and calling for an “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. However, the government had hesitated to take further action until now.

Last month, former Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned, citing a lack of support within the cabinet for taking additional measures against Israel.

His successor, David van Weel, told parliament late Wednesday that he has instructed his department to draft a government order to implement the import ban and confirmed that the measure would be enforced as soon as possible.

The Netherlands is a major global buyer of Israeli goods, but van Weel did not disclose the current volume of imports coming specifically from the settlements.

The majority of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel, however, regards the settlements as legal under its own laws, while some so-called “outposts” are deemed illegal but are often tolerated and, in some cases, retroactively legalized.

Van Weel also stated that the Netherlands supports the European Commission’s plan to suspend trade-related measures with Israel under the EU’s agreement with the country.