Israel takes exceptional step against the Netherlands: its representatives required to leave within a week

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar decided today, Tuesday, that Dutch representatives will be expelled immediately from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following the advice of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The expulsion of the representatives followed a series of anti-Israel moves by the Dutch government.

The latest of these was the enactment of a law prohibiting trade with Israeli products from Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, which will take effect next month.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Dutch Embassy in Israel as well as the United States of the removal of the representatives from the center in Kiryat Gat. The Dutch representatives were asked to leave Israel within a week.

The anti-Israel policy of the Dutch government is accompanied by a wave of antisemitism and unprecedented boycotts in that country. Foreign Minister Sa'ar emphasized:

"Our clear message: whoever acts against Israel will have no foothold here. Israel will not allow steps against it without a response."

Just at the beginning of the week, the Netherlands joined a number of countries that protested against construction in the E1 area. The list of countries included the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Norway, which published a joint statement condemning the Israeli government's decision to publish a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 complex, between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The countries called on Israel to immediately reverse the move and stop the expansion of settlements on the West Bank.

"The Israeli government's decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project is unacceptable," the statement read. The seven countries noted that the international community has opposed construction in the area for years and has expressed its grave concern to Israel — both publicly and in closed conversations.