Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced on Friday that the government had approved a ban on the import of goods coming from Jewish settlements in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, according to Al Arabiya English.
The measure seeks to ensure that the Netherlands does not, through commercial activity, contribute to the “unlawful occupation.”
In 2025, the previous Dutch administration announced plans for the ban.
Now the measure slated to come into force in the second half of this year.
The Netherlands represents one of the world’s leading importers of Israeli goods.
However, the Dutch government has never publicly disclosed the scale of imports originating from Jewish settlements.
Increasing Settlement Expansion
A recent report by the United Nations showed that Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank has reached its highest level since at least 2017, when the UN began systematically tracking such activity, according to AFP.
Excluding East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied and later annexed in 1967, the West Bank is home to approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers, alongside around three million Palestinians.
Since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, violence in the West Bank has seen unprecedented levels.
Burying Palestinian State
In August, Smotrich announced that Israel would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state by dividing the West Bank and cut if off from East Jerusalem.
During his visit to Maale Adumim, Smotrich revealed that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 scheme, a long-delayed settlement.
New Settlements
In a statement published in April, the watchdog group Peace Now said: “The security cabinet secretly decided to establish 34 new settlements.”
The approval of 34 additional settlements adds to 68 others that have already been authorized since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government assumed office in 2022.
Related Topics:
Israel Greenlights 34 New Settlements in West Bank
Arab League Chief Condemns New Israeli West Bank Settlements
9 EU Countries Call for Ending Trade with Israeli Settlements
