The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine has urged Netherlands to move forward with a trade embargo on products originating in illegal Israeli settlements, a measure enjoying support from Parliament and the cabinet.
In a statement, the ministry welcomed “the measures and sanctions” announced by Netherlands so far, including the “designation of extremist Israeli ministers as persona non grata and their registration in the Schengen Information System as undesirable aliens.”
The statement surfaced after, on late Wednesday, the Dutch Foreign Minister told the parliament that a national ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements will be introduced “as soon as possible.”
Press Release
Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ExpatriatesThe State of Palestine welcomes the measures and sanctions announced by the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Israel, including the designation of extremist Israeli ministers as persona non grata and their… pic.twitter.com/1sed8rcQU2
— State of Palestine – MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) September 11, 2025
The former Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, had to resign last month because the cabinet did not sufficiently back sanctions on Israel, something for which public pressure in Netherlands is huge.
Domestically, the caretaker government finds itself in a tough spot as snap elections are scheduled for October. But statement by the current Foreign Minister indicates decisive action against Israel might finally be happening.
FM Van Weel signaled that to implement trade ban quickly, the cabinet will move ahead with a General Administrative Order rather than a parliamentary legislation which will be more lengthy and time consuming.
Read More: Dutch FM Resigns for Lack of Cabinet Support Over Sanctioning Israel
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry added that the measures Netherlands has taken reflect its “principled commitment to the equal and consistent application of international law to all states without exception, and to the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the illegality of Israel’s occupation.”
The statement also urged Netherlands to recognize Palestine alongside other European countries who will announce formal recognition “during the upcoming International Peace Conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations on 22 September.”
In addition to trade embargo on illegal Israeli settlements, the ministry also called on Netherlands for “a full arms embargo on Israel,” something which does not look very imminent.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
