The Netherlands has banned far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering the country, the latest Western nation to bar the pair over their rhetoric on Gaza and the West Bank.
Monday’s decision came as part of a raft of measures to pressure Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Dutch media reported. The Dutch government will also summon Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Modi Ephraim, to denounce the “unbearable and indefensible” situation in the enclave.
In a letter to Dutch lawmakers quoted by local newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, the Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Caspar Valdekamp said the move against Smotrich and Ben Gvir came “because they have repeatedly incited violence by settlers against the Palestinian population and… called for ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.”
The announcement is the latest sign of escalating tensions between Israel and the European Union, as well as the Netherlands specifically, as global concern over reports of starvation in Gaza remains high. On Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and President Isaac Herzog disagreed publicly on social media over how to address the situation.
Two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held meetings with EU officials to stave off sanctions on Israel in exchange for an increase in aid entering Gaza. But more recently, EU leaders have complained that Israel has not done enough, and are considering suspending Israel from a signature EU research funding program, a step Schoof said may be among “additional measures” his government could support.
The Netherlands is the second EU country to bar Smotrich and Ben Gvir, after Slovenia announced its own ban earlier in July. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway also banned the ministers last month. Separately, several EU countries, including the Netherlands, have weighed arresting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in compliance with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Responding to the announcement, Smotrich and Ben Gvir both accused the Dutch government of siding with extremist forces and alluded to Europe’s history of antisemitism.
“Even if I’m banned from all of Europe, I’ll keep working for our country and demanding that we topple Hamas and back our fighters,” Ben Gvir posted on X. “In a place where terrorism is tolerated and terrorists are welcome, a Jewish minister from Israel is unwelcome. Terrorists are free and Jews are boycotted.”
Smotrich accused the Netherlands’ government of surrendering “to the lies of radical Islam.” He wrote regarding Europe that “Jews will not be able to live there in security in the future either,” just as they were not able to in the past.
“What they don’t understand in the Netherlands and other European countries is that, far more than it matters to me to enter the Netherlands, it matters to me that my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and those of all the Jews in the world, can live in the State of Israel in security for decades and centuries to come,” Smotrich posted on X.
Ben Gvir, who chairs the Otzma Yehudit party, and Smotrich, who chairs Religious Zionism, have drawn strong international criticism for their hardline stances on the Gaza war, as well as their comments on, and policies in, the West Bank.
The two have suggested that Israel should block all humanitarian aid into Gaza as long as the Hamas terror group still holds Israeli hostages, though both have remained in Netanyahu’s coalition after the prime minister announced a series of measures to increase the flow of aid to Gaza this week. Both have endorsed a return to Israeli settlement in the Strip at the conclusion of the war.
In the West Bank, Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, has declined to arrest violent settlers despite frequent attacks on Palestinians, and Smotrich — who wields ministerial powers over the West Bank from within the Defense Ministry — has worked to expand settlements and advocate for annexation of parts of the territory.
The ban on Smotrich and Ben Gvir came after Schoof threatened to support sanctions on Israel if Gazans do not get greater access to aid, a message he said he conveyed to Herzog in a phone call.
“If the EU decides tomorrow that Israel is not in compliance with the relevant agreements on this, the Netherlands supports the plan to suspend Israeli participation in the EU research programme Horizon,” Schoof posted on X. “If that proves to be the case, tomorrow in Brussels the Netherlands will also press for further European measures, for example in the realm of trade.”
Herzog criticized Schoof’s proposals and said that his post did not “reflect the spirit and details of the call.” He also criticized Schoof’s failure to mention the 50 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“Nor does it reflect my crystal clear position that it will be a HUGE mistake if EU takes such steps especially in light of Israel’s ongoing and upgraded humanitarian efforts,” Herzog posted. “I am especially saddened that the plight of our hostages and the demand for their immediate release are not even mentioned!”