Israel summons Dutch ambassador over pension manager boycott to Israeli banks

On Friday the Israeli foreign ministry asked Dutch ambassador Caspar Veldkamp for “clarification” on the Dutch pension manager PGGM’s decision to divest in Israeli banks that have branches in Israeli settlements built in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said.

PGGM of the Netherlands is one of the world’s largest pension asset managers and has decided to stop dealing with Israeli banks that have branches in settlements. The decision was based on the violation of international law, which says that settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal.

The Israeli newspaper reported that deputy Israeli foreign ministry’s director-general for Europe, Rafi Schutz, said to Veldkamp that the decision to boycott Israel is not acceptable and is based on “false claims.”

Schutz told Veldkamp he had expected the Dutch government to candidly refuse this measure.

Source: Al-Sharq