Ben-Gvir, Smotrich barred from entering all 29 Schengen countries

The Dutch government announced on Tuesday that 'Israeli' National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are now banned from entering any of the 29 countries in the Schengen zone.

"The cabinet decided to declare the ministers persona non grata," the government said in its statement.

According to officials, the ban has been added to the Schengen Information System, which means border authorities across all member states are expected to refuse entry to the two ministers. However, one source told 'Israeli' newspaper Haaretz that individual governments could, in practice, instruct their border officers to overlook the restriction.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry explained that the measure was taken under "exceptional circumstances," adding that the Netherlands would continue to push for broader action at the European Union level.

This move mirrors an earlier step by Spain, which also prohibited the two 'Israeli' ministers from entering its territory. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described it as a direct response to 'Israel’s' decision a day earlier, when Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar barred two Spanish ministers from entering 'Israel.