Diplomatic row: Israel revokes Dutch diplomats’ accreditation after airport enforces settlement goods ban

Israel will revoke the credentials of Dutch diplomats working in Ramallah as a retaliatory measure after the Dutch government banned the import and sale of products from Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which it sees as “occupied” territories.

On Sunday, Israelis who arrived in Amsterdam reported being subjected to rigorous inspections after landing, apparently aimed at finding products from these areas.

After Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the move on Sunday evening, his Dutch colleague Tom Berendsen said the next morning (that he) “deeply regret[s] this unnecessary decision,” adding that the import ban was “not directed against Israel” but stemmed from “the obligation, under international law, not to contribute to an unlawful situation: the illegal settlements.” 

“If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians, it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel,” Sa’ar said, noting that Israel already removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat after anti-Israel moves.

“Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it. Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region. I also reiterate the urgent need to address the growing antisemitism and incitement openly seen on the streets of the Netherlands,” Sa’ar added.

The Netherlands are banning Israeli from bringing with them teffilin made in the holy city of Hebron, where Jews have lived for millennia. Prayerbooks from Jerusalem. And anyone with any Israeli goods must prove they're NOT from an "illegal settlement."

This will impose massive… pic.twitter.com/Wjl2zahbAu

— Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) September 28, 2026

“Not only are this antisemitism and incitement not being seriously addressed, but the anti-Israel policies of the Dutch Government are fueling them.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, slammed the Dutch move, writing on 𝕏 that “there were some people from Netherlands in our church this morning who are flying back tomorrow & have to check their souvenirs to make sure they aren’t from Judea/Samaria-possible 6 yr prison term. A Nativity set from Bethlehem could put you in prison! Insane!”

However, the new law specifically applies to products from Jewish settlements, not Palestinian towns, in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem. Individuals or companies that intentionally violate the sanctions could face fines and up to six years in prison, while unintentional violations can lead to a maximum sentence of one year.

Last week, a Customs spokesperson said that enforcement is expected to focus in part on agricultural products such as dates and oranges.

Zeer terecht dat de Israëlische regering de Israël-haat van dit kabinet snoeihard aanpakt.

Koekje van eigen deeg voor #Jetten.

Over “vol op zijn bek slaan” gesproken.

De #PVV zal altijd achter #Israël staan in hun strijd tegen terreur en antisemitisme!#AmYisraelChai pic.twitter.com/K5fThca9Xj

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) September 27, 2026

Geert Wilders, the vocally pro-Israel leader of the Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV), commented that it was “absolutely right that the Israeli government is tackling this cabinet's Israel-hatred with unyielding force,” vowing his party would “always stand behind #Israel in their fight against terror and antisemitism!”

Yair Lapid, the current opposition leader and number two in the Together Party, used the new crisis to criticize the government for a “diplomatic failure unlike anything that has happened in the past.”

“Exactly like the fact that the UN General Assembly empties out when the Prime Minister of Israel takes the podium. Exactly like the fact that Ed Sheeran has to apologize to his fans for not being anti-Israeli enough. Antisemites have always existed, and Qatari and Iranian money has always incited against us, but Israel knew in the past how to block and stop such events,” he argued.

The former foreign minister added, “With proper diplomatic work and proper public diplomacy, it is possible to stop the anti-Israel wave and restore us to being a country loved around the world. This will not happen with this government.”

An opinion piece on the Dutch website Nieuwsrecht on Sunday decried the "witch hunt against Jews", reporting that passengers arriving from Tel Aviv were instructed to put their personal luggage through an X-ray machine.

When one passenger asked, “Why? We already went through extensive security checks in Tel Aviv, didn’t we?”, a customs official reportedly told him this was a routine measure for intercontinental flights.

Some passengers also complained about the rude treatment from the customs officials.

The author's 82-year-old uncle, who plans to fly from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam next week, told her: “My blood is boiling. Because it means the burden of proof is on the passenger. No receipt, no entry into the Netherlands. I was born during the war and had to hide. Jews were marked and discriminated against then too. Now it is happening again. They are marking us.”