Netherlands approves plan to reduce military imports from Israeli-occupied territories

The Netherlands House of Representatives has approved a plan to decrease the country’s reliance on Israeli military and security imports, following heightened concern over Israel’s human rights record and its involvement in serious violations of international law.

Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported on Saturday that the decision was adopted in late January, shortly before the swearing-in of a new government later this month, with two of the three coalition parties supporting the measure.

Parliament stated that “it is not desirable for the Netherlands to be dependent on industries involved in war crimes,” framing the policy as both a moral and strategic necessity rather than a symbolic gesture.

Over recent years, the Netherlands has purchased Israeli military equipment valued at roughly two billion euros, creating long-standing links between Dutch defense procurement and Israel’s arms industry.

Under the new plan, the Dutch government must report regularly to parliament on concrete steps taken to reduce imports from Israeli-occupied territories, according to an official familiar with the decision.

The official said that while immediate changes may be limited, the long-term impact could be substantial as contracts expire and alternatives are developed.

The move is intended to strengthen the Netherlands’ “strategic autonomy” in defense and security, while distancing the country from suppliers tied to systematic violence against civilians.

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In September, the Dutch government banned imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, citing Tel Aviv’s efforts to entrench control over the territory and its ongoing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded 172,000 others, most of them women and children.

In July, the Netherlands declared hawkish Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich "personae non gratae," over their role in promoting violence against Palestinians and openly calling for an “ethnic cleansing” of Gaza.

The same month, the Netherlands joined 20 other countries in signing a joint statement condemning Israel’s approval of a major settlement expansion in the Occupied West Bank as “unacceptable and contrary to international law.”

The Dutch government has also pressured the European Union (EU) to impose economic and trade measures on Israel.

In May, it supported a legal review of the EU–Israel Association Agreement, which later identified “indications” that Israel had breached the agreement’s human rights obligations.

Following that review, the Netherlands has worked to suspend Israel’s participation in the EU’s Horizon research funding program and to scale back broader trade ties.

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