The Netherlands announced Thursday it will ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, citing Israel’s plans to annex parts of the territory and expand fighting in Gaza.
Foreign Minister David van Weel told parliament he had instructed his department to draft a government decree on the ban, saying the measure “would be implemented as soon as possible.”
The move follows a July decision barring Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the Netherlands, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians, promoting settlement expansion and calling for “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. Earlier this week, the government also said the ban on the two ministers would extend to all 29 Schengen states, but until now it had taken no additional measures.
The Netherlands is one of the largest buyers of Israeli goods worldwide, though van Weel did not specify how much of that trade comes from settlements.
Last month, former Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp — who once served as ambassador to Israel — resigned after failing to persuade coalition partners to impose sanctions. “I see that I am insufficiently able to take meaningful additional measures to increase pressure on Israel,” he said in his resignation announcement. He later added, “I have felt pushback in the cabinet for additional measures.”
The Netherlands also supports a European Commission plan to partially suspend the EU’s trade agreement with Israel. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she will propose sanctions on hardline Israeli ministers and a partial freeze of the EU-Israel association agreement. She said the proposal would suspend bilateral aid while sparing programs linked to civil society or Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial center.
The Netherlands is not the first country to take such steps. Earlier this week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced measures he said were intended “to stop the genocide in Gaza,” including a ban on settlement imports. His statement referred to “illegal settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.” Since there are no Israeli settlements in Gaza, the wording raised questions about whether the ban might also cover goods produced near the enclave.
In July, Ireland passed a similar measure and has been advancing the so-called Israeli Settlements Bill, which would make it a criminal offense to import goods from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.