Amsterdam lists 'Israel' as foreign threat to national security

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Jul 2025 21:05
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The Netherlands has officially listed "Israel" as a foreign state threat for the first time, citing disinformation campaigns and attempts to pressure the International Criminal Court.

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A view of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, June 26, 2024 (AP)

For the first time, the Netherlands has included "Israel" on its list of foreign states that pose a threat to national security, according to a new report from the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV).

The assessment, titled Assessment of Threats from State Actors, highlights efforts by "Israel" to manipulate Dutch public opinion and influence political decision-making through disinformation tactics.

Among the incidents cited is a case from last year, when an Israeli ministry reportedly circulated a document to Dutch journalists and politicians via unofficial channels. The document contained unusual and sensitive personal information about Dutch citizens. This followed tensions linked to a rally in Amsterdam supporting the football team Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The NCTV pointed to the circulation of such material as part of a broader concern over disinformation campaigns aiming to undermine Dutch democratic institutions.

Pressure on ICC

The report also expressed alarm over growing threats from both "Israel" and the US directed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. These pressures, the agency noted, may interfere with the court’s ability to carry out its judicial responsibilities.

As the host country of the ICC and other international legal institutions, the Netherlands was described as having a “special responsibility” to protect its functioning from external threats.

While previous Dutch concerns have centered around Israeli spyware and surveillance tools, this report does not list "Israel" under the espionage section. Nonetheless, the inclusion of "Israel" as a national security concern marks a notable shift in the Netherlands' approach to foreign state threats.

Last year, prosecutors in the Netherlands were reviewing a request to initiate a criminal case against senior Israeli intelligence officials, following allegations that they interfered with the International Criminal Court's investigation into crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

This investigation, carried out jointly by The Guardian, the Israeli +972 Magazine, and Hebrew-language publication Local Call, led the Dutch government to raise concerns with the occupation's ambassador earlier this year. As the host state of the ICC, which is based in The Hague, the Netherlands is obligated to protect the court and its staff from interference, under an agreement with the ICC.