Netherlands bars entry to Smotrich, Ben Gvir over statements on Gaza and West Bank

Defence affairs

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.”