Israel is considering additional measures against the Netherlands after a court in The Hague rejected a request to suspend a ban on trade in Israeli products from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. A diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post this.
According to the publication, the ban is set to take effect on September 22. The Dutch government said it sought to increase pressure on the Israeli government and not to economically facilitate the further expansion of Israeli settlements. Before adopting a national decision, the Netherlands tried to advance similar restrictions at the European Union level but failed to gather the necessary majority.
Israel’s response
Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, decided to remove Dutch representatives from participation in the international coordination center on Gaza in Kiryat Gat. The Embassy of the Netherlands in Israel and the United States, which plays an important role in the mechanism’s work, were informed of this.
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Initially, the Israeli side said that the representatives had to leave the country within a week. The Dutch side later clarified that they would not leave their other diplomatic posts, but their participation in the center in Kiryat Gat would end. The center, involving the United States and other countries, coordinates issues related to Gaza, stabilization and the future of the sector.
Possible further measures
The diplomatic source did not specify which new steps Israel is considering. No official decisions on additional measures have been announced so far. Israeli officials believe that the volume of trade directly affected by the Dutch ban is relatively small. At the same time, they are concerned that other states may adopt the Netherlands’ approach and impose restrictions independently after unsuccessful attempts to agree on them at the EU level.
Israel had also previously barred representatives of Spain from the mechanism in Kiryat Gat amid a diplomatic crisis with Madrid. At the same time, the diplomatic source denied reports of possible similar steps regarding Germany and Italy, calling these countries friendly.
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