The Dutch government wants to join international efforts to impose sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, outgoing prime minister Dick Schoof and foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp told MPs in a briefing on Wednesday.

Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway have already brought in sections against the two, which include freezing the ministers’ assets, banning them from doing business with banks in those countries, and denying them entry.

Sweden has already written to the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs urging similar measures. “The Netherlands will support that call,” Veldkamp said.

The cabinet said it was time to send a clear signal. “The ministers have repeatedly incited violence by settlers against the Palestinian population, consistently promoted the expansion of illegal settlements, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza,” the briefing stated.

Smotrich’s call for the complete destruction of Gaza was described by the cabinet as “unacceptable”.

Several parties in parliament have already called for sanctions against Ben Gvir, Smotrich and others who advocate for more illegal settlements and the expulsion of Palestinians.

The main justification for the sanctions, they said, is that Israel’s settlement policy is leaving less and less of the Palestinian Territories intact, undermining the prospect of a two-state solution – the preferred way forward for many countries hoping to end the conflict.

Veldkamp said he would also discuss Smotrich’s recent announcement that Israel would revoke exemptions allowing its banks to cooperate with Palestinian banks. “This measure would cause major (economic) instability in the West Bank and further weaken the already fragile Palestinian Authority,” he said.

The ministers also responded to recent demonstrations in the Netherlands. “The suffering in Gaza touches many deeply, including in Dutch society, as seen in the protests on 18 May and 15 June 2025,” they said. “This sentiment has not gone unnoticed by the cabinet.”