Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced stricter controls on military exports to Israel [Getty]
The Dutch government said on Monday it had tightened export controls for all military and ‘dual use’ goods destined for Israel.
All direct exports and the transit of these goods to Israel will be checked to see if they comply with European regulations, and will no longer be covered by general export licences, the government said in a letter to parliament.
“This is desirable considering the security situation in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the wider region,” foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp and trade minister Reinette Klever wrote.
“Exporters will still be able to request permits, that will then be checked against European regulations.”
The government said no military goods for Israel had been exported from the Netherlands under a general permit since Israel started its war on Gaza.
It said that the general licence for the export of “low risk information security goods”, such as routers for network security, was frequently used for export to Israel.
It estimated that between 50 and 100 permits for the export of those goods would now have to be requested on an individual basis.
A Dutch court last year ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used to violate international law during the war in Gaza. Israel denies violating international law.
In December 2024, demands by pro-Palestinian groups for a ban on arms exports from the Netherlands to Israel were rejected. The non-governmental groups had accused Israel of conducting a “genocide” in its war in Gaza. But the court said the Dutch government was respecting rules governing the country’s arms trade.
“The state should not be forced to impose a ban on exporting goods that can be used for military means,” the court in The Hague said in a statement.
