The Netherlands will ban products from Israeli settlements, saying international law prohibits contributing to the continuation of the occupation.
Key Developments
- The Dutch ban takes effect in September.
- It covers importing, purchasing and selling settlement products.
- The government cited international legal obligations.
- The Netherlands joins other European states restricting settlement trade.
The Netherlands announced Tuesday that it will prohibit the import, purchase and sale of products originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank beginning in September.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the measure reflects the country’s obligation under international law not to contribute to the continuation of Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
“The proposed measures reinforce the Netherlands’ commitment to fulfilling its international legal duty not to contribute to maintaining this unlawful situation,” the ministry said.
Belgium Approves Ban on Imports from Illegal Israeli Settlements
The ban applies to products originating from Israeli settlements established in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Netherlands joins Ireland, Belgium and Spain, which have introduced restrictions targeting trade with Israeli settlements.
Pressure has been mounting within the European Union to adopt bloc-wide measures against settlement products amid Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
Ireland Becomes First EU Country to Ban Imports from Israeli Settlements
According to the legal advocacy organization Global Echo, the Netherlands imports roughly one-third of Israeli settlement agricultural exports destined for the European Union.
Last week Belgium approved similar legislation banning imports from Israeli settlements, introducing automatic rejection of import licenses for products originating in settlements throughout the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
(QNN, PC)
