Israel revokes Dutch diplomats’ status over sanctions on settlements

Israel escalates retaliatory measures as Western sanctions target illegal West Bank settlements.

Al Jazeera2026-09-27 20:21查看原文 ↗

Israel escalates retaliatory measures as Western sanctions target illegal West Bank settlements.

Demonstrators take part in a nationwide march organised by several pro-Palestinian groups in Leiden, the Netherlands, September 26, 2026 [Josh Walet/EPA]

Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats at the Netherlands’ ‌Representative Office in Ramallah, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has said.

The countermeasure announced on Sunday comes in response to the Dutch government’s ban on ⁠imports originating ⁠from Israeli settlements in the ⁠occupied West Bank.

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In a statement posted on X, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gidoen Saar said, “If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians, it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel.”

Israel informed the Dutch embassy that “diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days”.

Saar said, “Last month, we removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following actions taken by the Dutch Government against Israel. I reiterate: Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it. Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region.”

Carne Ross, a former senior British diplomat and founder of the non-profit advisory group Independent Diplomat, told Al Jazeera that “the fact that Israel is chucking out Dutch diplomats who are essentially diplomats to Palestine, to the Palestinian population in the West Bank, I don’t think is that significant, except to indicate Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation.”

Israel has enacted a series of retaliatory measures in response to the United Kingdom, France and Canada announcing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.

Earlier this month, Israel announced a seven-day deadline for the removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center as one of four countermeasures against the UK for imposing sanctions on illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Netherlands sanctions

The Netherlands brought its ban into force on September 22. The Dutch measure goes further than some others. It bans the import, purchase and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, as well as services facilitating that trade.

Bilateral trade between the Netherlands and Israel totalled about $4.8bn last year. Its significance extends beyond the Dutch market, with the Netherlands serving as a major gateway for goods entering the rest of Europe.

The legal non-profit Global Echo group said the Netherlands accounted for a third of agricultural exports from Israel’s illegal settlements and nearly half of those destined for the European Union.

西方制裁针对西岸非法定居点，以色列加大报复力度。

2026年9月26日，在荷兰莱顿，示威者参加了由多个亲巴勒斯坦团体组织的全国性游行。[Josh Walet/EPA]

以色列外交部表示，以色列已撤销荷兰驻拉马拉代表处外交官的外交地位。

周日宣布的反制措施是对荷兰政府禁止进口来自被占领的西岸以色列定居点的商品的回应。

列表 1/3：英国承认巴勒斯坦建国一年后，成果显著。

以色列部长贝扎莱尔·斯莫特里奇呼吁在被占领的西岸发动战争（共3条记录，此为第2条）

以色列总理斯莫特里奇呼吁在西岸发动“战争”：是空洞的言辞还是真正的威胁？（列表3/3）

以色列外交部长吉登·萨尔在X网站上发表声明称：“如果荷兰希望继续代表其利益与巴勒斯坦人进行对话，它应该在巴勒斯坦权力机构的领土上进行，而不是在以色列国的领土上进行。”

以色列通知荷兰大使馆，“在拉马拉活动的使节必须在七天内归还以色列签发的外交文件”。

萨尔表示：“上个月，鉴于荷兰政府对以色列采取的行动，我们撤出了位于基里亚特加特的加沙国际支持中心的荷兰代表团。我重申：以色列不会对任何旨在损害其利益的措施置之不理。任何对以色列采取敌对和单边行动的国家都将在该地区失去影响力和地位。”

英国前高级外交官、非营利咨询组织“独立外交官”的创始人卡恩·罗斯告诉半岛电视台：“以色列驱逐荷兰外交官，而这些外交官实际上是驻巴勒斯坦、驻西岸巴勒斯坦民众的外交官，我认为这并没有什么特别的意义，除了表明以色列的外交孤立日益加剧之外。”

针对英国、法国和加拿大宣布对以色列非法定居点实施制裁，以色列采取了一系列报复措施。