Israeli officials are tired of being the target of European sanctions when the problems in Judea and Samaria are all caused by Palestinian terrorists, not by Israelis rightfully living on their ancient land.
As I have explained many times, the so-called Palestinians have no right to own Judea and Samaria, which was part of the land that God gave from the river to the sea to the Jewish people as a perpetual possession thousands of years before the invention of Islam (Genesis 17:8, Joshua 1:4). Furthermore, modern Israelis have generously given certain towns to the Palestinians, such as Bethlehem, which only resulted in those towns becoming hotbeds of terrorist activity and anti-Christian persecution. Right around the time that Palestinians committed multiple attacks, including at least one deadly shooting, in Judea and Samaria, the UK and Dutch governments punished the Israeli government, as if it were the cause of the violence instead of fundamentalist Islam.
Gideon Sa’ar, minister of foreign affairs for Israel, announced on September 27, “Following the entry into force last week of an order banning the import and sale of products from Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, we informed the Dutch Embassy in Israel this evening that Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days. After this period, the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted to them by the State of Israel will expire.”
Such actions are long overdue. Why should Israel continue to host representatives of governments that have done everything possible to vilify and undermine Israel on the world stage? Why should Israel give diplomatic immunity to allies of its deadly enemies?
Sa’ar continued, “If the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians, it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel. Last month, we removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following actions taken by the Dutch Government against Israel. I reiterate: Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it.”
Western leftists constantly use Israel as a punching bag and then act outraged if Israel imposes any consequences on them for doing so. “Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region,” Sa’ar stated.
Related: Israel’s U.S. Ambassador’s Son Might Recover From Palestinian Terror Attack
Unfortunately, there was also a serious problem of violent antisemitism in the Netherlands, where violence against Jews grew so terrible in Amsterdam in late 2024 that critics referred to the attacks as “pogroms.”
Jews in the Netherlands don't feel safe. Europe must do better and take proactive action against Antisemitism instead of choosing silence because are they are afraid to "upset" the radicals. Disclaimer: This post condemns all forms of hatred, incitement, and violence against any group of people."
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) July 17, 2026
Sa’ar mentioned this phenomenon. “I also reiterate the urgent need to address the growing antisemitism and incitement openly seen on the streets of the Netherlands. Not only are this antisemitism and incitement not being seriously addressed, but the anti-Israel policies of the Dutch Government are fueling them,” he said.