Holland takes a dramatic step: the import of products from the settlements will be completely prohibited

A significant deterioration in the relations between the countries: The Dutch government has agreed on imposing a blanket ban on the import of goods and products produced in the settlements in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem – this is what Dutch Prime Minister Rob Itten announced today (Friday).

According to the Dutch Prime Minister, the dramatic step is intended to prevent his country’s economic involvement in Israeli policy beyond the Green Line. “The ban is intended to prevent any contribution, through the economic activity of the Netherlands, to the illegal occupation,” Yatan stated in the official announcement.

The current decision does not come in a vacuum. Already last year, the previous Dutch government stated that it was examining and planning such a move, but now it seems that the plan is taking shape and becoming an official policy. According to estimates in The Hague, the ban is expected to enter into official force already in the second half of this year.

The Netherlands is considered one of Israel’s main commercial partners in Europe and is defined as one of the leading global buyers of Israeli goods. At the same time, until now the government in The Hague has refused to reveal official data regarding the scope and volume of goods actually imported specifically from the settlements, so the exact economic impact of the boycott on the Israeli economy is still not completely clear.

Holland’s announcement comes at a particularly sensitive political time for Israel – a Franco-Swedish proposal is on the European Union’s table for additional restrictions on imports from the settlements that may amount to a de facto ban. The proposal has significant support – Italy has announced that it is still considering the proposal, and may be the deciding vote.

Israel managed to prevent the approval of the measure through major diplomatic efforts at the beginning of the month, but another battle is expected ahead of the meeting of the Union’s foreign ministers on June 15.