Israeli ministers ‘repeatedly incited violence against the Palestinian population,' and 'called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza Strip,’ says Dutch foreign minister
The Netherlands has barred far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering the country, labeling them persona non grata for their calls to “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip, according to Dutch media reports.
In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp justified the ban late Monday, saying the two Israeli ministers have "repeatedly incited violence against the Palestinian population, persistently advocated for the expansion of illegal settlements and called for ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip."
The Dutch government also said in the letter published Monday that it will summon Israel's ambassador to denounce the "unbearable and indefensible" situation in Gaza.
“Even if I’m banned from all of Europe, I’ll keep working for our country and demanding that we topple (the Palestinian group) Hamas and back our fighters,” Ben-Gvir said on X.
Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said his government was “considering taking national measures” against Israel and is prepared to support suspending its participation in the EU’s Horizon research program if Brussels determines that Israel is obstructing humanitarian aid access to Gaza.
While Ben-Gvir has demanded a “full siege,” blocking aid and declared “there are no uninvolved civilians in Gaza,” Smotrich has called for reoccupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population, saying Israel should "stop being afraid of the word occupation.” Their rhetoric has been widely condemned as incitement to violence and genocide.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of most aid convoys. The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began aid distribution in late May.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children.
Israel has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
