Netherlands declares Israeli hardliner ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir persona non grata

AFP , Tuesday 29 Jul 2025

The Netherlands has declared two hardline Israeli ministers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as persona non grata, the government said.

A Palestinian flag is waved as protesters gather during a demonstration in support of Palestinians a
A Palestinian flag is waved as protesters gather during a demonstration in support of Palestinians at Amsterdam Central Station in Amsterdam, as aid and human rights groups warn of "mass starvation" in the war-torn territory. AFP

 

"They repeatedly incited settler violence against Palestinians, promoted illegal settlement expansion, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza," Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told parliament in a letter released late Monday.

In June, the Netherlands backed a Swedish proposal to impose EU sanctions on the far-right Israeli ministers, but the initiative failed to gain unanimous support in the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Smotrich said in a post on X that European leaders had surrendered to "the lies of radical Islam that is taking over" and the "rising antisemitism".

Ben-Gvir said he would continue to act for Israel, even if they ban him from entering "all of Europe".

"In a place where terrorism is tolerated and terrorists are welcomed, a Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted," he wrote.

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