Netherlands lists Israel as threatening state actor in security report

The Netherlands has for the first time formally listed Israel among state actors deemed to pose a threat to its national security interests.

The classification appears in the Threat Assessment of State Actors 2025, released on July 17 by the National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security (NCTV), Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The document explicitly names Israel in a section titled Subversive Influence to Alter Public Perception, where NCTV writes that “Israel is also attempting to influence political and public opinion abroad, including in the Netherlands,” 

A report distributed by the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism in the wake of violent incidents involving Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam in November 2024 was not shared through official channels with the Dutch government but was sent directly to specific politicians and journalists.

Dutch authorities criticized the manner in which the report was disseminated, labeling it “unusual” and potentially harmful. “The way in which it was disseminated was described by the Dutch Ministers of Justice and Security and of Foreign Affairs as unusual and, due to potential negative consequences for Dutch residents, undesirable.”

“In this way, the individuals mentioned could be intimidated or threatened, or in the worst case, attacked,” the report states, raising concerns that Israeli communication efforts may have contributed to an atmosphere of intimidation or even incitement.

The implications are particularly sensitive as antisemitism across Europe remains at record highs.

Israel is referenced again later in the report under a section titled [Dutch] Institutions Targeted by State Actors, where NCTV highlights growing pressure on international legal bodies headquartered in the Netherlands. It notes that “well-known targets of state interference in the Netherlands” include the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In this context, the report claims, “The United States and Israel publicly issued threats towards the court, and the United States has imposed sanctions,” actions which it warns could jeopardize the operations and independence of these key institutions.

By Vafa Guliyeva