Dutch ban on Israeli settlement goods to start on September 22

The Netherlands will ban the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements from September 22, foreign minister Tom Berendsen has told MPs.

The cabinet announced the trade ban in May but had not yet set a date, broadcaster NOS reported. A majority of MPs called last year for a national ban on the import and transit of goods from illegal settlements in territories occupied by Israel.

The measure covers not only imports but also trading in settlement goods, and Dutch companies operating abroad will have to comply. Activities aimed at getting around the ban are prohibited as well. The measure will apply for three years in principle.

The Council of State raised no objections to the ban in an urgent advisory opinion, although it expressed doubts about how enforceable it will be, a concern the cabinet itself acknowledged when the measure was announced.

The government has repeatedly pushed for an EU-wide ban, but there is insufficient support among member states. Belgium, Spain and Ireland have already introduced sanctions at national level.

Last month, a report by legal organisation Global Echo found that the Netherlands is the top destination for Israeli settlement produce entering the EU market.

The building of settlements in the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights is a violation of international law, and according to the United Nations, settlers are systematically guilty of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian population.

“We want to prevent Dutch society, through its economic activities, from contributing to an unlawful occupation and the maintenance of illegal settlements,” prime minister Rob Jetten said when the ban was agreed in May.