Netherlands to allow trade with Israel’s illegal territories | Story

The Dutch ban on Israeli goods from the occupied territories comes as efforts to implement EU sanctions are still in place.

The Netherlands should ban imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Dutch government announced the final approval of the law on Tuesday. It will see the Netherlands ban the “import, purchase, and sale of goods from Israel’s unauthorized locations in the Palestinian Territories” from September 22.

With the move, the Netherlands joins a small but fast-growing group of European countries acting unilaterally on an issue that focuses on illegal roads in the occupied West Bank. The countries of the European Union are still divided by introducing a worldwide ban, although several governments are pushing hard for a general rule.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen told the parliament that the trade ban had already been planned, although the date of implementation is new.

A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, last year supported the move.

Under the measure, it will also be illegal for Dutch companies to offer leasing services that facilitate trade with illegal Israeli territories.

Legal tax management has made the Netherlands an important location for many international organizations. The ban also applies to Dutch companies operating abroad.

Dutch methods follow suit Belgiumwhich approved its import ban days ago.

The Netherlands also joins Spain and the Republic of Ireland among EU countries acting unilaterally, as pressure mounts on the 27 countries to agree to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied territories.

The Dutch Council of State did not oppose the plan, although it expressed doubts about how it would be implemented, a concern the government said it had already tested when the plan was first announced two months ago.

The Dutch government has acknowledged that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are off-limits under international law and has said the ban reflects its duty not to support the situation.

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders condemned X’s decision, saying he was “deeply ashamed” of the move.

A study released in June by the group Global Echo, which tracks Palestinian cases against the occupation, found that the Netherlands accounts for a third of agricultural products from illegal Israeli settlements and about half of those going to the EU.

Products from these areas include agricultural products, including avocados, dates, oranges, grapes and fresh herbs. The measure will also affect products from the populated Golan Heights, an area known for its wine production.

Annual sales of the affected areas are said to be worth tens of millions of euros, although the exact value is difficult to determine.