The Netherlands announced that it will ban the import, purchase and sale of products originating from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria beginning September 22.

The move will place the Netherlands alongside Ireland, Belgium and Spain among European Union countries that have imposed trade restrictions on Israeli communities beyond the Green Line. All four countries also recognize a Palestinian state.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the measure reflects the country’s stated international legal obligations and will apply to goods originating from communities the government defines as illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

Calls have increased for broader European Union restrictions over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and violence in Judea and Samaria, though several EU countries remain opposed to bloc-wide action.

A report issued in June by Global Echo, an organization that pursues legal cases on behalf of Palestinians, said the Netherlands received roughly one-third of agricultural exports from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and nearly half of those shipped to the European Union.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)