Netherlands to bar Israeli ministers from Schengen Area

The Netherlands has announced that Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be banned from entering all 29 Schengen countries, Dutch Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp told parliament.

Veldkamp said the measure would take effect from September 10 and was announced during a parliamentary session discussing the conflict in Gaza and prospects for a two-state solution, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both far-right figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, have long faced international criticism for their inflammatory rhetoric.

Ben-Gvir, a former Kahanist activist with past convictions for inciting racism, has advocated arming Jewish settlers in the West Bank and called for a "full siege" on Gaza, declaring "no uninvolved civilians" there.

Smotrich, a settler leader overseeing West Bank settlements, has supported erasing Palestinian villages, rejected a two-state solution, and endorsed blocking aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas.

In July 2025, the Netherlands banned them from entering the country over advocacy for "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and settlement expansion.

By Aghakazim Guliyev