The Netherlands bans Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for inciting violence.

The Dutch government announced Monday evening that it was imposing an entry ban on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing the Israeli government's extremist policies and amid a European push against Israeli violations.

The Netherlands is the seventh country to ban Ben-Gvir and Smotrich from entering its territory and impose sanctions on them following the war on Gaza and their statements calling for genocide against Palestinians. Similar sanctions have been imposed on them by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Slovenia.

Dutch Foreign Minister Henk Waldwamp said his government had decided to declare the two ministers "persona non grata," explaining that their names had been registered in the Schengen Area as "unwelcome foreigners."

He explained that the decision was taken due to their "repeated incitement of settler violence against Palestinians, their continued support for the expansion of illegal settlements, and their calls for ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip" as part of Israel's war of extermination in the territory.

The Israeli ambassador to The Hague, Modi Ephraim, is expected to be summoned to a formal reprimand session at the Dutch Foreign Ministry, where, according to Waldwamp, "Israel will be again called upon to change the direction of its policies," noting that "the current situation is untenable and untenable," while emphasizing "continued pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza."

This position comes as part of growing European indications of action against ongoing Israeli violations, particularly with the Netherlands recommending freezing Israel's participation in the European Horizon research program and imposing additional trade restrictions on it if, according to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof, it is proven that "Israel is not fulfilling its obligations in this regard."

In a tweet following a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Schoof wrote that "the Netherlands will support the EU's plan to suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon program if it is found to be not respecting the relevant agreements," indicating the possibility of supporting "additional European steps in areas such as trade."

It's worth noting that both of the excluded ministers, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, have faced repeated international condemnation for their racist positions and public incitement to displace Palestinians, which has translated into increasingly harsh government policies toward Palestinians.

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