Dutch customs reportedly inspect flight passengers over ‘Israeli’ settlement goods

• The checks followed the Netherlands' Sep. 22 ban on goods originating from Israeli settlements.
• The restrictions cover settlement products carried in passengers' luggage, including souvenirs and gifts.

Dutch customs authorities searched the luggage of some passengers arriving at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on an El Al flight from Tel Aviv, amid a new Dutch ban on goods originating from ‘Israeli’ settlements, according to ‘Israeli’ and Dutch media reports.

The reported checks came after the Netherlands began enforcing the measure on Sep. 22, which prohibits goods wholly or partly obtained or produced in ‘Israeli’ settlements in the occupied West Bank and other territories. 

The ban also applies to goods carried in passengers' personal luggage, including souvenirs and gifts. 

‘Israeli’ broadcaster Channel 12 reported that customs officers checked passengers arriving from Tel Aviv for products from settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights. 

The report did not say whether any prohibited goods were found or whether passengers faced penalties. 

However, subsequent accounts from passengers indicated that the checks were not necessarily a blanket inspection of everyone arriving from ‘Israel’. 

One passenger told “The Times of Israel” that a group of about 15 travelers was called for screening, while another passenger on the same flight said she was not stopped.

Dutch Customs says it can inspect passengers' luggage to enforce the settlement-goods ban. It says selections are based on objective information and risk assessments, and that nationality, religion, ethnic background or appearance are not grounds for inspection. 

Under the rules, travelers may not bring into the Netherlands goods wholly or partly obtained or manufactured in an ‘Israeli’ settlement, even if they were purchased before the ban took effect. The restrictions also cover goods brought for personal use, as gifts or as souvenirs. 

If customs find prohibited goods, travelers can surrender them voluntarily. If they refuse, customs can seize the goods and prepare an official report, with the Dutch Public Prosecution Service deciding whether further penalties will follow. 

The measure applies specifically to settlement-origin goods and does not alter trade relations between the Netherlands and ‘Israel’ within ‘Israel's’ internationally recognized 1967 borders, according to the Dutch government. 

The new restrictions have also heightened tensions between the two countries. ‘Israel’ announced on Sunday that it would revoke the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats working at the Netherlands' representative office in Ramallah, with their status set to expire after seven days. 

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