The Netherlands has begun enforcing a nationwide ban on the import, purchase and sale of goods produced in Israeli settlements, with deliberate violations potentially carrying prison sentences of up to six years.
The measure took effect Tuesday and applies to businesses as well as individuals, including travelers bringing affected goods into the country in their personal luggage. It also prohibits brokerage services connected to the products and attempts to circumvent the restrictions. Dutch authorities say the measure does not apply to goods produced in Israel within its pre-1967 boundaries.
Dutch Customs said enforcement at the border is expected to focus in part on agricultural products such as dates and oranges.
“If Customs finds goods that can be established as falling under this sanctions measure, we will seize them and draw up an official report,” a Customs spokesperson said.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service said individuals and companies that intentionally violate the rules could face up to six years in prison as well as fines. Unintentional violations can carry a maximum sentence of one year, though prosecutors are expected to concentrate on systematic and deliberate breaches.
The Dutch government describes the measure as covering goods originating wholly or partly in Israeli settlements in territories it considers occupied, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The Netherlands says the restrictions are intended to ensure that Dutch economic activity does not contribute to maintaining settlements it considers unlawful under international law.
Israel disputes international legal positions concerning some of the territories and rejects the characterization of the Golan Heights as unlawfully occupied. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it in the 1967 Six-Day War and extended its law to the Golan Heights in 1981. Most of the international community does not recognize either move.
Dutch government cites international court opinion
The Dutch measure follows a landmark 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest court, which found Israel’s continued presence in territories captured in 1967 unlawful and said countries must not provide aid or assistance that helps maintain that situation.
The Dutch government says its national restrictions are intended to give effect to its international legal obligations by preventing economic activity from contributing to what it calls the unlawful occupation and maintenance of Israeli settlements.
Tammun Ridge in the West Bank
(Photo: Yaron Botzer)
The ban covers more than imports. Since Sept. 22, Dutch businesses are prohibited from buying or selling affected goods, providing brokerage services that facilitate their trade or using alternative commercial arrangements to circumvent the restrictions. Existing commercial stocks are also covered, with no transition period.
Travelers are subject to the restrictions as well. Goods produced wholly or partly in affected settlements cannot be brought into the Netherlands even if they are souvenirs, gifts or intended for personal use. The rule applies even if the product was purchased before the ban took effect. Goods ordered online and shipped to the Netherlands are also covered.
The measure is temporary and is due to expire after three years unless extended or replaced by legislation.
Determining where goods come from could prove difficult
Despite the potentially severe penalties, enforcement presents a significant practical challenge: determining precisely where products originated.
Agricultural goods such as dates and oranges rarely carry labels identifying the specific farm or settlement where they were grown. A previous investigation by the nongovernmental organization Global Echo found that the origin of settlement products was sometimes obscured by labeling them simply as coming from Israel, using addresses within Israel Proper or mixing settlement produce with goods originating inside Israel.
Those difficulties have raised questions about how broadly the ban can be enforced. The Dutch government and Council of State, which advises the government on legislation, acknowledged concerns over enforceability before the measure took effect.
Customs officials are similarly expected to face difficulties tracing agricultural products through complex supply chains with limited time and resources.
Dutch supermarket chains say they already conduct checks intended to establish where Israeli products originate.
Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, said it is closely monitoring the new requirements and will investigate products when necessary. Lidl said it sells almost no products from Israel.
Jumbo, which sells Israeli dates, mangoes and herbs, said it has been working on the issue for some time and uses an independent party to verify that the products it sells originate in Israel rather than settlements covered by the prohibition.
Dutch authorities also direct businesses and travelers to an EU postcode list to help determine whether a product originated in a location covered by the restrictions.
National action after EU divisions
The Dutch government first announced plans for the restrictions earlier this year and formally published the measure in July, setting Sept. 22 as its effective date. The government said it had previously sought broader European action but lacked sufficient support among European Union member states for an EU-wide prohibition.
The Netherlands has maintained a policy since 2006 discouraging economic activity connected to Israeli settlements and has pushed within the EU for sanctions against extremist settlers and organizations accused of supporting them.
Belgium, Spain and Ireland have also introduced national measures targeting settlement trade, according to Dutch reporting, as European governments increasingly consider unilateral action in the absence of consensus among the EU’s 27 members.
Because identifying the precise origin of goods can be difficult, critics have questioned whether the Dutch prohibition will have a substantial economic effect and argue that its significance could be primarily political and symbolic.
The government, however, has presented it as a legal and economic measure designed to prevent Dutch consumers and businesses from contributing financially to settlements it considers unlawful.
The restrictions do not alter the Netherlands’ broader commercial relationship with Israel. Dutch authorities explicitly say the ban applies only to goods produced wholly or partly in the settlements covered by the measure and does not affect trade with Israel within the internationally recognized pre-1967 boundaries.