Israel revokes diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah

Protesters and counter-protesters clash over a Palestinian flag during a national Israel rally on Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Sept 17.

TEL AVIV - Israel said on Sept 27 it was revoking the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats who represent the Netherlands at the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, in response to Dutch sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel earlier in September ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, which is Britain’s representative with the Palestinian Authority, after London announced similar sanctions banning the import of goods from settlements.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days, when their diplomatic privileges and immunities are due to expire.

“Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region,” Saar said.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry declined to comment. The Netherlands’ ban on imports of goods produced in settlements came into effect last week.

Israel in August banned Dutch diplomats from a US-led coordination centre for Gaza that is based in Israel, over what the foreign minister described as “anti-Israel measures.”

Many countries, including the Netherlands, have long had diplomats who represent their governments with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah while living in East Jerusalem.

Israel has traditionally accredited those diplomats and granted them certain privileges under the Vienna Convention on treatment of diplomatic missions.

France and Canada joined Britain this month in announcing a ban on goods from settlements, but Israel has not taken any action against those two countries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has found itself diplomatically isolated from many of its allies over its conduct in recent years in Gaza and the West Bank.

Two prominent Israeli cabinet ministers have been sanctioned by several countries, while Spain, Ireland and others have also announced a ban on goods originating from settlements. REUTERS