(Oct. 6, 2026 \/ JNS)\n <\/p>\n
Israeli President Isaac Herzog in an interview published on Tuesday urged Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten to demand Hamas\u2019s disarmament, and called for renewed dialogue with The Hague.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t I hear Prime Minister Jetten say, \u2018We demand that Hamas disarm\u2019?\u201d Herzog asked during the interview with Dutch daily De Telegraaf. \u201cThen a technocratic government can come in, and a new future for Gaza can begin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The interview followed recent Dutch sanctions against Israel, including a ban on products from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and eastern Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI extend my hand to the Netherlands and its leaders,\u201d Herzog told De Telegraaf. \u201cLet\u2019s talk to each other again.\u201d He also invited Jetten to visit the site of the Nova music festival, where Hamas terrorists murdered more than 300 people on Oct. 7, 2023.<\/p>\n
In the interview, Herzog noted the \u201cenormous love\u201d for the Netherlands among Israelis and said the bond between the two countries runs much deeper than current political differences.<\/p>\n
At the same time, he said Israelis feel the Dutch political establishment has launched a fierce attack on the Jewish state. \u201cIt\u2019s like people hate us again,\u201d he said. \u201cYou deported the Jews from the country during the Holocaust. Now you\u2019re trying to push Israel out. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope should thank Israel every morning, afternoon and evening for the way we protect it. Iranian missiles can also reach Amsterdam and The Hague,\u201d Herzog added. \u201cIsrael is not your enemy, but your ally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom, shared the interview on X. He said he had submitted questions about it for Tuesday\u2019s question hour in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the Netherlands?\u201d the opposition lawmaker wrote. \u201cThe Netherlands is led by Israel-haters who pursue antisemitic policies, fueled and supported by left-liberal Hamas lovers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOral questions to Prime Minister Jetten have been submitted for the question hour. Hope the Speaker of the House lets them proceed,\u201d Wilders added.<\/p>\n
The Dutch sanctions against Israel, which took effect on Sept. 22, ban the import, purchase and sale of goods from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights that the Netherlands considers \u201cillegal settlements.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the ban took effect, passengers arriving at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol from Israel reported unusually extensive customs checks.<\/p>\n
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar on Sept. 27 ordered Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah to return their Israeli-issued diplomatic credentials within seven days. Their diplomatic privileges and immunities granted by Israel would expire after that period.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf 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,\u201d Jerusalem\u2019s top diplomat said last month.<\/p>\n
The retaliatory steps followed another Israeli measure against the Netherlands. On Aug. 25, Sa\u2019ar ordered the Dutch delegation removed from the U.S.-led Gaza coordination center in Kiryat Gat, citing a series of \u201canti-Israel measures\u201d by The Hague, including the then-pending goods ban.<\/p>\n
Tensions had already surfaced in July, when Sa\u2019ar warned Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen that adopting a \u201cone-sided anti-Israel narrative\u201d would \u201cseverely damage our longstanding great ties.\u201d<\/p>\n