Starting September 22, the Netherlands will ban all imports originating from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, a top Dutch diplomat disclosed to Haaretz on Tuesday.
According to the official, the boycott aims to align Dutch commercial policy with international legal frameworks that deem Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria unlawful.
Under the newly instituted regulations, it will be illegal to purchase, sell, or import items produced in Israeli towns across the region. The legislation also criminalizes commercial brokerage services for these products and penalizes any attempts to bypass the sanctions.
The Dutch diplomat noted that the measure was formally published Tuesday in the country’s official gazette, with the Israeli Embassy receiving prior notice before the public announcement. Further diplomatic sessions outlining the steps are slated to occur in The Hague, potentially setting the stage for additional international sanctions.
With this decision, the Netherlands becomes the third European Union member state to enact an import boycott on products from Judea and Samaria, following Spain and Belgium.
Luxembourg - which relies on the Port of Rotterdam for maritime shipping along with the Netherlands and Belgium - is expected to introduce a parallel trade ban shortly, according to Haaretz.
Ireland has already passed comparable legislation; however, that bill remains inactive pending formal authorization from President Catherine Connolly.
The European Union’s foreign ministers recently convened to debate a regional embargo on goods originating from Israeli communities located in Judea and Samaria, though no agreement was reached on such actions for the time being.
Last year, nine European Union countries formally called upon the European Commission to develop proposals aimed at discontinuing trade between the EU and Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
This initiative was conveyed in a letter addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, signed by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
The ministers' appeal referenced a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which declared “Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the settlements within them as illegal". The Court's opinion further stated that nations should implement measures to prevent trade or investment relations that contribute to the continuation of this situation.