The Netherlands Bans the Import of Israeli Settlement Products in the Occupied Territories

The Dutch government has taken a decision to ban the import and marketing of products originating from Israeli settlements built in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan. This decision is in line with the position of international law and United Nations resolutions that consider these settlements illegal. The Netherlands called on European Union countries to adopt similar positions to stop indirect economic support for settlement activities.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, explained that this decision represents a clear message to Israel of the Netherlands' rejection of the continuation of the status quo, stressing that the decision is based on advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice, which considers the occupation an illegal annexation of territories.

The Dutch government stressed in its statement that the continued settlement expansion and the escalation of violence against Palestinians seriously undermine the chances of achieving peace based on the two-state solution. The ban includes all goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights since 1967, in a move aimed at ensuring that Dutch companies do not contribute to supporting violations of international law.