Insulting Dutch Travel Advisory Draws Protest

YERUSHALAYIM (Hamodia Staff) —

A  Dutch government travel advisory to its citizens in Israel has been called “insulting” by the Foreign Ministry and the Dutch have been asked to revise the text, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.

The advisory warns of sometimes violent “Jewish colonists” in Yehudah and Shomron.

“Be alert when traveling there. Demonstrations and violent incidents occur regularly. Jewish colonists live in illegal West Bank settlements and organize demonstrations regularly around and on the road. These colonists are sometimes violent. At times, these colonists throw stones at Palestinians and international vehicles, so be alert, especially in the hills around Nablus and Hebron.”

Dutch nationals are also advised not to go to the Gaza Strip, due to risk of being shot in fights among Islamist groups. “In addition, there exists a risk of becoming a victim of an Israeli aerial attack.”

An Israeli spokesmen said that the embassy in the Hague has raised the issue with senior officials in the Dutch Foreign Ministry and ”emphasized the gravity of the matter.”

A spokesperson at the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in response that the travel advisory is intended to give an “overview of the real security risks for travelers, based on several sources.”

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