Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir (L) and Bezalel Smotrich (Photo by Reuters)
The Netherlands has labeled Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich personae non gratae, imposing an entry ban on them over calls for settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.
“The cabinet has therefore decided to declare Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir persona non grata and is committed to registering them as undesirable aliens in the Schengen registration system,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced in a statement released on Monday night.
He clarified that the ban follows their promotion of settler aggression towards Palestinians, the growth of unlawful Israeli settlements, and their demands for ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Veldkamp stated that the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands would be summoned, urging the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to alter its current approach, which was described as “intolerable and indefensible.”
The Dutch decision follows similar moves last month by Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.
The Netherlands is also the second EU country to bar Smotrich and Ben Gvir, after Slovenia announced its own ban earlier this month.
In a statement, the Slovenian government accused the two ministers of inciting “extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements.”
On Tuesday, Ben-Gvir responded to the measure by the Netherlands, asserting that he would continue to work for the Tel Aviv regime’s sake.
Tensions escalated between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Monday, following the issuance of a strongly worded statement by the Netherlands, which proposed European punitive measures against Israel in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Schoof stated in a social media post that he had called an emergency meeting with his deputy prime ministers, foreign minister, and defense minister to discuss what he characterized as the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
The Dutch prime minister underlined the Netherlands' resolve to guarantee prompt and unobstructed humanitarian access to Gaza.
He further indicated that if the European Union finds that Israel has failed to meet its humanitarian duties, the Dutch government would endorse measures to exclude the Tel Aviv regime from the EU's Horizon Europe research initiative.
Schoof elaborated on his stance, suggesting that if the EU were to impose measures against Israel, the Netherlands would advocate for additional actions, which may include trade-related repercussions, while also contemplating unilateral national measures to intensify pressure on the Israeli regime.
Herzog merely deflected by stating that Schoof's remarks “do not reflect the spirit or the details” of an earlier phone call between the two, adding, “It will be a huge mistake if the EU takes such steps, especially in light of Israel’s ongoing and upgraded humanitarian efforts.”
