Israel's Envoy to Netherlands Summoned Home After Criticizing Ministers

Israel's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Aviner Vapni, has been summoned back to Israel by the Foreign Ministry for consultations following sharp remarks he made about Israeli ministers and settlers. In an interview with the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, Vapni described statements by Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as "unacceptable" and "terrible." He specifically addressed Smotrich's comment about starving two million Gazans and Ben-Gvir's call to kill 30-40 Gazans nightly, stating, "I certainly do. They said things that I find terrible and unacceptable. I don't feel any need to defend them."

Vapni also addressed the issue of settler violence in the West Bank, stating that while most settlers are not violent, "thousands of Jewish extremists, hooligans, and terrorists" live in the settlements and should be imprisoned. He estimated that 80% of Israelis agree that this violence must stop, calling it "abhorrent."

The ambassador's comments, which he also shared on X, have caused a significant stir. This is not the first time Vapni has faced scrutiny from the Dutch government; he was previously summoned twice by the Dutch Foreign Minister. The first instance was related to the Gaza flotilla and a "humiliation video," and the second followed Israel's revocation of diplomatic status for Dutch consulate staff in Ramallah.

In the interview, Vapni also discussed the ongoing war in Gaza, acknowledging the horrific images but emphasizing that it is a war against a brutal terror organization, not genocide or ethnic cleansing. He expressed frustration with the international perception of Israel's actions, particularly when the context of the October 7th attacks is ignored. He admitted that while he is not satisfied with the war's outcome, Hamas chose to embed itself within Gaza's civilian infrastructure, making destruction of its strongholds necessary to defeat the group.