4 months Ago
Travel Ban and Export Restrictions
Days after Foreign Minister Yair Lapid rejected a recommendation from the State Department to include the two extremist lawmakers on the list, the Dutch government declared Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to be unwelcome aliens.
These are ministers who have promoted violence against Palestinians, created illegal settlements, and helped incite the Gaza ethnic cleansing. In other words, they will not be welcome in the Netherlands.
Over and above the entry ban, the Netherlands will reexamine its arms export policy with regard to Israel. The government will review and immediately suspend some export permits, and it says that in the current context, it is "extremely unlikely" that any new arms export licenses to Israel would be granted.
The Dutch government is also expected to call within the European Union for the suspension of the trade segment of its association agreement with Israel.
To support Gaza's humanitarian needs, the Netherlands will provide 1.5 million euros to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and 3 million euros to the Red Cross for humanitarian emergency aid.
Emergency Meeting and Diplomatic Push
The decisions, which came after noon, were made during an emergency meeting of Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Deputy Prime Ministers, the Foreign Minister Veldkamp, and the Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans.
The meeting put a stop to their summer recess, under pressure from Humanitarian organizations, political parties, and the Dutch people.
After the meeting, Schoof said the Netherlands would "promote EU-level steps against Israel." He personally phoned his counterpart, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, to explain the Dutch policies.
Herzog fired back at the moves, terming them a "TREMENDOUS mistake" and maintaining that they overlooked Israel's dynamism and the fate of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas.
Growing Humanitarian Toll in Gaza
Based on the most recent numbers from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as of July 28, at least 59,921 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including over 17,400 children.
Approximately 145,233 have been injured, and thousands are still missing, buried under the rubble. Hunger killed 147 people, with 88 of them children. One child in 10 is now malnourished.
The situation worsened when Israel withdrew aid to Gaza on March 2, and has let only limited supplies in since. The attacks began after a Hamas operation on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed 1,139 Israelis.
Aid Groups Demand Tougher Action
Dutch aid organizations welcomed the government's new steps but say they do not go far enough. Gerard Jonkman of The Rights Forum called the steps "shamefully little and far too late," and urged more stringent sanctions.
Michel Becks, a spokesman for the Dutch Red Cross, was quoted as saying, "People in Gaza need food and medical assistance now." It's a sign of progress, but too little to save lives and alleviate suffering, they warned.
In the weeks ahead, they will determine whether these steps can make a difference, as well as a difference for Israel that could open the door to necessary humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.
