Netherlands Classifies Israel Alongside Iran and Russia as Foreign Influence Threat
The Netherlands' National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) has, for the first time, placed Israel in the same category as Iran and Russia in its 2025 threat report. This classification labels Israel as a state actor attempting covert or unacceptable influence on Dutch public opinion and decision-makers, sparking a significant diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The report's harsh assessment is based primarily on two contentious issues. First, following violent disturbances during a Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball game in Amsterdam in November 2024, the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry distributed a document directly to Dutch politicians and journalists. Dutch security agencies condemned this as bypassing official diplomatic channels and viewed it as a "foreign influence campaign" that endangered Dutch citizens by including personal information.
Second, the Netherlands has criticized Israel and the United States for exerting pressure and campaigns against international judicial institutions based in the country, particularly amid arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli officials by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Israeli officials have strongly rejected the comparison, calling it a severe distortion of reality. They argue that Israel’s actions represent transparent and legitimate public diplomacy aimed at exposing antisemitism experienced by Israeli fans in Europe. They accuse the Dutch report of ignoring the real and ongoing threats to Israelis and Jews across Europe.
The diplomatic tensions are further complicated by recent Dutch policies, including a September 2026 ban on importing and selling products from Israeli settlements and the Golan Heights, and previous Dutch court actions halting exports of F-35 aircraft parts to Israel. The presence of international courts on Dutch soil obliges the Netherlands to protect these institutions, creating inherent friction with Israel’s security interests.
Despite large pro-Palestinian protests and calls for boycotts in the Netherlands, some right-leaning and centrist Dutch government factions continue to support Israel. The NCTV’s classification reflects a strict intelligence perspective prioritizing Dutch sovereignty rather than a broad anti-Israel political stance by the entire cabinet.
This development raises serious questions about the future of Dutch-Israeli relations, marking a notable shift from the Netherlands’ previous role as a stable European ally. The report adds to a series of events that have widened the divide between the countries amid rising antisemitic unrest in Europe.
