Dutch Security Agency Names Israel a Threat over Disinformation, ICC Pressure
A new Dutch intelligence report accuses Israel of disinformation campaigns and threatening international legal institutions.
For the first time, the Netherlands has designated Israel as a foreign state that poses a potential threat to its national security. The designation comes as part of a new report released by the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV), the country’s chief counterterrorism and security agency.
The report, titled Assessment of Threats from State Actors, highlights attempts by Israel to influence Dutch public opinion and political processes through disinformation campaigns.
According to the NCTV, these efforts include the dissemination of misleading information and covert lobbying tactics aimed at shaping perceptions and decisions within Dutch society.
One notable incident cited in the report involves a document distributed in 2023 by an Israeli government ministry to Dutch journalists and politicians via unofficial channels.
The document reportedly contained intrusive and inappropriate personal information about Dutch citizens. This occurred in the context of heightened tensions surrounding a rally in Amsterdam by fans of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In addition to these influence operations, the NCTV raised alarm over increasing threats from both Israel and the United States directed at the International Criminal Court (ICC), headquartered in The Hague.
The report warned that such pressure campaigns could interfere with the court’s independence and undermine its judicial functions. As the host country to the ICC and several other key international legal institutions, the Netherlands bears what the report called a “special responsibility” to protect these bodies from foreign intimidation and manipulation.
While previous NCTV reports have voiced concern about Israeli spyware and surveillance technology, this latest document stops short of directly naming Israel in the section on espionage. The omission is notable given past reporting on Israeli cyber-intelligence tools allegedly used against Dutch targets.
The move has intensified scrutiny of Israel’s diplomatic and intelligence activities abroad, particularly in countries hosting international legal institutions.
The report comes in the wake of the ICC’s November 2024 decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
This latest assessment marks a significant shift in Dutch intelligence reporting and may have broader implications for European security policy regarding Israel’s conduct on the international stage.
