Israel Expels Dutch Diplomats Over Settlement Import Ban

Israel has stripped Dutch diplomats of their status after The Hague banned imports from West Bank settlements. Foreign Minister Gidoen Saar announced this blow on Sunday, declaring that any nation acting hostile against Israel will lose its regional relevance. He insists such unilateral measures harm the very country they target. Last month, Israel removed a Dutch delegation from an International Support Center in Kiryat Gat for similar actions. Now, officials say diplomats operating in Ramallah must surrender their Israeli-issued documents within seven days or leave. Saar wrote on X that if The Netherlands wants to serve Palestinian interests, it must do so from Palestinian Authority land instead of inside Israel itself.

This escalation follows a wave of Western pressure after the UK, France, and Canada placed sanctions on illegal settlements. Earlier this month, Israel gave British representatives a seven-day ultimatum to vacate an International Gaza Support Center. The Dutch government took its ban into effect on September 22, making it stricter than some neighbors. It covers not just goods but also services that help move them across borders. Bilateral trade between the two nations hit roughly $4.8 billion last year. The Netherlands acts as a major gateway for products entering the rest of Europe. A legal non-profit called Global Echo noted that Dutch buyers accounted for one-third of agricultural exports from settlement areas and nearly half heading to the European Union.