Israel Orders Dutch Diplomats in Ramallah to Hand Back Credentials Over Settlement Goods Ban

Israel has ordered Dutch diplomats stationed in Ramallah to hand back their Israeli-issued diplomatic documents within seven days, escalating a diplomatic row over the Netherlands’ ban on trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the move on Sunday, saying the Dutch embassy in Israel had been formally notified that the privileges and immunities granted to the diplomats would expire after the deadline. The order applies to staff at the Netherlands’ Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah; Sa’ar said the Netherlands could continue working with the Palestinians only from Palestinian Authority territory.

The decision follows the entry into force of a Dutch ban on September 22 on the import, purchase and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The Netherlands, like most of the international community, considers the settlements illegal under international law, while Israel rejects that characterization.

The dispute is the latest in a string of Israeli retaliatory measures against European governments over settlement policy. Israel last month also removed Dutch officials from a US-led Gaza coordination centre in Kiryat Gat, and this month took measures against British consular officials over similar settlement-related actions, according to the Associated Press.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen called the Israeli step “unnecessary,” according to Brussels Signal. The diplomats may make new arrangements before the deadline expires.

Sources:

• Reuters — “Israel revokes diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah”
• The Associated Press — “Palestinian death toll in Gaza war passes 74,000, and other Mideast news” (includes the Dutch diplomats section)
• Brussels Signal — “Israel expels Dutch diplomats”