Israel strips Dutch diplomats in Ramallah of status after settlement goods ban
The Netherlands banned trade in goods from Israeli settlements on Sept. 22. Israel gave its diplomats seven days to hand back their credentials.
JERUSALEM — Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats working at the Netherlands' representative office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, in retaliation for a new Dutch ban on goods made in Israeli settlements.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the diplomats must return their Israeli-issued credentials within seven days. He said the Netherlands could keep dealing with the Palestinians from Palestinian Authority territory, and that Israel would not ignore measures meant to harm it. The Dutch government summoned Israel's ambassador in response.
What the Dutch ban does
Since Sept. 22, Dutch law has barred importing, buying or selling goods produced in settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, along with services that help that trade. The Netherlands matters here: it handles a large share of settlement farm exports heading into the European Union.
Dutch Foreign Minister Berendsen called Israel's step unnecessary and said the ban reflects a legal duty not to support settlements that most of the world considers illegal under international law.
A wider pattern
Britain, France and Canada have announced similar measures against settlements, and Israel has pushed back against several of them. The dispute is the latest sign of strain between Israel and European governments, even as U.S.-led diplomacy on Iran, Lebanon and Gaza continues.
Sources
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