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Netherlands

Israel Revokes the Credentials of Dutch Diplomats in Ramallah after the Netherlands’ Ban on Goods from Judea and Samaria Takes Effect

Israel on Sunday, September 27, gave Dutch diplomats serving in Ramallah seven days to return their Israeli-issued diplomatic credentials, retaliating after a Dutch ban on goods from Israeli businesses in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights went into effect. Their diplomatic privileges granted by Israel will expire at the end of that period, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on X. “If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians,” Sa’ar wrote, “it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel.”

“Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it,” Sa’ar continued. “Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region.” He also accused the Dutch government of failing to seriously address “growing antisemitism and incitement” in the country, and said its “anti-Israel policies” were fueling the phenomenon. An Israeli official called the announcement “a dramatic step.”

The move will not force the closure of the Dutch mission, but it will strip the diplomats of their ability to move freely through Judea and Samaria and will potentially expose them to prosecution if they meet Palestinians involved with terrorism. The diplomatic move came days after the Netherlands began enforcing its new restrictions on goods from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, which took effect on Tuesday, September 22. Passengers who arrived in Amsterdam on an El Al flight from Tel Aviv reported that Dutch customs officials searched their luggage for products originating in those communities or the Golan Heights. (TOI/VFI News)