Senior Israeli officials involved in relations with Europe are sharply criticizing the government’s decision to expel Dutch representatives from the U.S.-led Gaza coordination center in Kiryat Gat, calling the move “madness” and accusing the government of putting short-term political considerations ahead of Israel’s diplomatic interests.
The officials said the decision risks harming Israel well beyond its relationship with the Netherlands because Amsterdam is an influential player inside the European Union and can help shape the positions of other member states.
One senior official said the government appears to believe that public confrontations with European countries could help it politically at home. “The government thinks these quarrels will add votes in the election,” the official said. “But the truth is that the next government will have a great deal of work to do to repair the relationships.”
Another official stressed that the real damage could be felt in Brussels. “In the end, you have to think about the votes in Brussels,” the official said. “A country like the Netherlands is very important and wealthy. It brings other countries with it, and they follow.”
The criticism comes after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval, ordered Dutch representatives out of the Civil-Military Coordination Center following a series of measures by the Netherlands targeting Israel. The Dutch team was given one week to leave the country.
Among those measures is legislation banning trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which is due to take effect next month. Spain was removed from the same center in April under similar circumstances.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials denied a Financial Times report that Germany and Italy were also being considered for removal from the Kiryat Gat center.
“There is no intention of taking action against friendly countries,” the officials said. “The reports about that are simply incorrect.”
Britain, however, was treated differently. Israeli officials said countries that impose sanctions or other punitive measures against Israel should expect a response, though they declined to say what form that response would take.
“Countries that act against us will be exposed to reciprocal measures from the Israeli side,” the officials said. “We cannot say what the response will be, but we can say there will be a response.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten
(Photo: AP Photo/Peter Dejong, REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)
That warning leaves open the possibility that British participation in the coordination center could become one of the pressure points if London moves ahead with steps such as restrictions on settlement goods or an arms embargo.
The Financial Times had reported that Israel was considering removing British representatives in response to criticism of Israeli policy in the West Bank, and that similar action had been discussed regarding Germany and Italy.
Israel is now rejecting the claim regarding Berlin and Rome while making clear that retaliation remains on the table against countries that take concrete measures against it.
The latest dispute follows a joint statement last week by 21 countries, including Britain, condemning Israel’s approval of the E1 settlement plan near Jerusalem. The countries described the move as unacceptable and warned that it could further undermine prospects for a future Palestinian state.
Britain subsequently summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over the decision.
For the senior officials criticizing the government’s approach, the concern is that expelling individual European countries from the Kiryat Gat center may produce a political headline at home while creating a much harder diplomatic environment for Israel across Europe.