Israel revokes Dutch diplomats’ status over sanctions on settlements

Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats at the Netherlands ‌Representative Office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

The measure, announced on Sunday, was made after the Dutch government banned ⁠imports originating ⁠from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said: “If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians, it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel.”

Israel informed the Dutch embassy that “diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days.”

Saar said: “Last month, we removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following actions taken by the Dutch Government against Israel. I reiterate: Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it. Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region.”

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he regretted the “unnecessary” decision and said the Netherlands was considering its response.

“Our temporary sanctions are not targeted against Israel, but stem from our obligation to not contribute to the unlawful situation ‌of the illegal settlements,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Carne Ross, a former senior British diplomat and founder of the nonprofit advisory group Independent Diplomat, told Al Jazeera: “The fact that Israel is chucking out Dutch diplomats who are essentially diplomats to Palestine, to the Palestinian population in the West Bank, I don’t think is that significant except to indicate Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation.”

Israel has enacted a series of retaliatory measures in response to the United Kingdom, France and Canada announcing sanctions on Israeli settlements.

This month, Israel announced a seven-day deadline for the removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center as one of four countermeasures against the UK for imposing sanctions on settlements in the West Bank.

Netherlands sanctions

The Netherlands brought its ban into force on September 22. The Dutch measure goes further than some others. It bans the import, purchase and sale of goods from Israeli settlements as well as services facilitating that trade.

Trade between the Netherlands and Israel totalled about $4.8bn last year. Its significance extends beyond the Dutch market because the Netherlands serves as a major gateway for goods entering the rest of Europe.

The legal nonprofit group Global Echo said the Netherlands accounted for a third of agricultural exports from Israel’s settlements and nearly half of those destined for the European Union.