The Dutch government intends to ban imports of goods produced in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, reports “Reuters“, BTA reports.
The decision is motivated by Israel's plans for the West Bank and its military offensive in Gaza. In July, the Netherlands imposed travel bans on two far-right Israeli ministers accused of inciting violence against Palestinians and calling for “ethnic cleansing“ of Gaza. However, the government has so far been reluctant to take further steps.
Last month, former Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp resigned, saying he did not feel support in the cabinet for further measures against Israel. His successor, David van Weel, told parliament that he had instructed his department to draft a government decree on the import ban, specifying that the measure would be implemented as soon as possible.
The Netherlands is the world's leading buyer of Israeli goods, but Van Weel did not specify how much is currently being imported from Jewish settlements. Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. The Israeli government considers them legitimate under its own laws, while some so-called "outposts" are illegal but are often tolerated and sometimes later legalized.
Van Weel also noted that the Netherlands supports plans by the European Commission to suspend trade-related measures in the agreement between the European Union and Israel.