Holland was ‘’irritated’’ by Israel’s decison not to allow a high tech security scanner paid by the Dutch government to be used for scanning goods moving from Gaza to the West Bank and from the West Bank to Gaza, a Dutch government spokesperson said Sunday.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is on a 3-day visit to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, was expected to inaugurate the scanner on Sunday at the Keren Shalom border but the opening ceremony was cancelled as a result of the Israeli decision
The issue is expected to be raised during talks between Rutte and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during talks in Tel Aviv later on Sunday.
According to Dutch news agency ANP, Dutch Foreign minister Frans Timmermans has also become involved in a row during the visit as he was due to visit the town of Hebron on Sunday morning but refused to accept an escort of Israeli soldiers.
Timmermans said German and Norwegian visitors had not had an Israeli army escort during previous visits.
Rutte and Timmermans are leading a 70-strong Dutch trade mission to the Palestinian territories and Israel aimed at boosting economic relations.
In Israel, the Dutch Prime Minister, who is also accompanied by Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade Lilianne Ploume and Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp, will officially launch a ‘Netherlands-Israel Cooperation Forum’, together with his Israeli counterpart.
The Dutch government delegation will be accompanied by a total of four business delegations. One delegation will bring companies and research institutes from the water technology sector, another from the energy and natural gas sector, and a third is focusing on innovation in agriculture and food.
The missions will bring several dozens of Dutch companies to Israel
The Dutch believe that the level of competitiveness, entrepreneurship and innovation in both countries provides a winning combination, from which respective private sectors and research institutes can benefit.
Holland is the second largest destination of Israeli exports in Europe and dozens of Israeli companies have invested in the country.
Due to its central location and with Rotterdam as the largest European harbor, Holland is considered a key player in the EU economy and a worldwide ‘gateway to Europe’.
Trade between both countries exceeded 5 billion dollars in 2012. Total exports from Israel to the Netherlands reached 990 million dollars in the first semester of 2013.