Jerusalem, 29 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — israeli foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar summoned dutch ambassador Marriët Schuurman for a formal rebuke over the Netherlands’ ban on Israeli government ministers Bezael Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Sa’ar condemned the measures as “fueling antisemitism” in the Netherlands and accused its caretaker government of siding with Hamas. Sa’ar warned that such pressure tactics “will fail” and only serve to harden Hamas’s stance, damaging ceasefire and hostage release efforts.
The Foreign Minister also criticized the Netherlands for ignoring Israeli humanitarian efforts, saying Amsterdam’s policies reflect “a disconnect from reality.”
Sa’ar expressed regret that the Dutch government was replacing long-standing friendship with open hostility, adding that this would not go unanswered.