Israel Expels Dutch Representatives Over Anti-Israel Policies and Settlement Opposition

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on Tuesday the immediate expulsion of Dutch representatives from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following advice from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This decision responds to a series of anti-Israel measures by the Dutch government, most recently the enactment of a law banning trade in products from Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, effective next month. The Foreign Ministry instructed the Dutch representatives to leave Israel within a week, including those at the Dutch embassy in Israel and in the United States. Sa'ar condemned the Dutch government's policies as accompanied by unprecedented antisemitism and boycotts in the Netherlands, stating, "Our clear message: those who act against Israel will have no foothold in the region. Israel will not allow steps against it without response."

Earlier in the week, the Netherlands joined six other countries, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Norway, in condemning Israel's plan to issue tenders for 1,234 housing units in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The joint statement called on Israel to immediately reverse the decision and halt settlement expansion in the West Bank, emphasizing longstanding international opposition to construction in the area and expressing serious concern both publicly and in private discussions with Israel.