Netherlands Tightens Airport Scrutiny of Israel Arrivals Over Settlement Goods Law

Passengers on a direct flight from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport have reported unusually thorough baggage checks following their arrival in the Netherlands. This intensified scrutiny, first reported by the Dutch conservative website Nieuwsrecht on September 27, is speculated to be linked to a new Dutch law that prohibits the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights. The law, which took effect on September 22, carries penalties of up to six years imprisonment for importing, acquiring, selling, or brokering trade in items from what it defines as "illegal Israeli settlements."

While Dutch authorities have not officially confirmed the law's practical application, passengers described their luggage being subjected to X-ray scans, with customs officials reportedly paying particular attention to items like wine, dates, and olives originating from East Jerusalem, the West Bank, or the Golan Heights. Information about the penalties for violating the new law was displayed at the airport. Some passengers also reported experiencing aggressive behavior from customs officers.

In response to the heightened checks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Saar announced retaliatory measures. Dutch diplomats working in Ramallah will be required to return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documents within seven days, after which their immunities and privileges will expire. Saar stated that the Netherlands can continue to represent its interests to Palestinians from the Palestinian Authority's territory, not from within Israel. This follows the earlier cessation of the Dutch representative office's activity at the Gaza Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the government's handling of the situation, calling the airport checks a "foreign policy failure." He drew parallels to other perceived diplomatic setbacks and argued that Israel needs effective diplomacy and information policy to counter anti-Israel sentiment and improve its global standing. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned the Dutch actions, calling them "madness" and a "real scandal" after hearing similar accounts from Dutch tourists.