- Sa’ar says Israeli-granted privileges and immunities will expire in seven days; move follows Dutch customs checks on El Al flight passengers for West Bank and Golan goods
Israel on Sunday gave Dutch diplomats serving in Ramallah seven days to return their Israeli-issued diplomatic credentials, retaliating after a Dutch ban on goods from Israeli businesses in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights went into effect.
Their diplomatic privileges granted by Israel will expire at the end of that period, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on X.
“If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians,” Sa’ar wrote in his statement, “it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel.”
“Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it,” Sa’ar continued. “Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region.”
Sa’ar also accused the Dutch government of failing to seriously address “growing antisemitism and incitement” in the country, and claimed its “anti-Israel policies” were fueling the phenomenon.
“It’s a dramatic step,” said an Israeli official of Sa’ar’s announcement.
The move won’t force the closure of the mission, but it will strip the diplomats of their ability to move freely through the West Bank, and will potentially expose them to prosecution if they meet Palestinians involved with terrorism.
The diplomatic move came days after the Netherlands began enforcing its new restrictions on settlement goods.
Passengers who recently arrived in Amsterdam on an El Al flight from Tel Aviv reported that Dutch customs officials searched their luggage for products originating in West Bank settlements or the Golan Heights.
The policy, which took effect on September 22, bars goods obtained or manufactured wholly or partly in what Dutch authorities classify as unlawful Israeli settlements. The prohibition applies not only to commercial imports but also to products carried by private travelers as souvenirs or gifts. Dutch authorities have stressed that the measure does not apply to goods produced or purchased within Israel’s internationally recognized borders.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized the new Dutch restrictions in a post on X after reports of the baggage inspections emerged, calling the situation “insane.”
“There were some people from Netherlands in our church this morning who are flying back tomorrow & have to check their souvenirs to make sure they aren’t from Judea/Samaria — possible 6 yr prison term,” Huckabee wrote, adding, “A Nativity set from Bethlehem could put you in prison! Insane!”
However, Huckabee’s example of a Nativity set from Bethlehem would not appear to fall under the Dutch ban, as Bethlehem is a Palestinian city, not an Israeli settlement. The six-year term he cited is the maximum punishment for an intentional sanctions violation, rather than an expected penalty for tourists.
Sunday’s measure was not Israel’s first response to the Dutch policy. In late August, Sa’ar expelled Dutch representatives from the US-backed international Gaza coordination center in Kiryat Gat, citing what he called a series of “anti-Israel measures” by Amsterdam, including its announced settlement import ban. The move was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
southern town of Kiryat Gat, on November 19, 2025.
The dispute comes amid broader European moves against economic ties with Israeli settlements. On September 8, Britain announced a planned ban on imports from West Bank settlements as part of a wider sanctions regime that would also target companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion and restrict some exports deemed to support Israel’s presence in the West Bank.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures were intended to reflect London’s view that Israeli settlements and the occupation are unlawful under international law.
on all dealings with settlements, September 8, 2026.
Shortly after Miliband’s speech, the leaders of the UK, France and Canada issued a joint statement confirming that they would “take steps to ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them.”
BY: Lazar Berman, Nava Freiberg and ToI Staff
