Netherlands summons Israeli ambassador after Israel revokes Dutch diplomats' status

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen has summoned the Israeli ambassador after the country revoked Dutch diplomats' diplomatic status while they were on a mission in Ramallah, Berendsen said during a press conference, in which he repeated that the move was “unnecessary.”

The Israeli government took the unprecedented diplomatic step after a Dutch trade ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights came into force last week. “Israel will not ignore measures that harm the country,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday when announcing the decision.

Berendsen wants to know from the ambassador what the details are of the measure and also wants to speak to the ambassador about the impact of the step.

The diplomats need to leave the mission in the Palestinian area in seven days. Berendsen could not say how many diplomats will be affected by the measure. The ambassador will visit the ministry on Tuesday or Wednesday.

German Foreign Affairs minister Johann Wadepuhl visited Berendsen on Monday. Wadepuhl repeated that his country is not in favor of punishing measures against settlements.

Such sanctions can also have negative consequences for Palestinians, according to Saar. The Netherlands has been pushing within the EU for a ban on goods from Israeli settlements for some time, but has so far failed to secure sufficient support for the measure.