Introduction
Israel and Netherlands maintain close diplomatic, economic, and military relations. Israel exports a wide variety of arms to the Netherlands, including drones, loitering munitions, missiles, battle management systems, EW systems, DIRCM systems, vehicles protection systems and air protection systems, cyber tools and spywares.
Israel – Netherlands Relations
Israel and the Netherlands have signed several bilateral conventions, such as cultural conventions, a social security agreement, a Double Taxation Convention, a memorandum on industrial research and development and a convention on joint agricultural research. Furthermore, Israel is represented by the Netherlands in the board of the International Monetary Fund.[1]Relations between Israel and the Netherlands
The Netherlands is an important economic partner for Israel, with bilateral trade covering goods and services. In 2024, Dutch exports to Israel amounted to €4.96 billion, while imports from Israel totaled €3.36 billion. Trade is diversified and includes machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, manufactured goods, food products and services.[2]Dutch Government, Parliamentary document 36180 no.179, 05.11.2025
Investment constitutes an important and substantially larger component of the economic relationship. According to figures analyzed by SOMO using Dutch Central Bank data, Israeli foreign direct investment in the Netherlands amounted to €44.9 billion in 2024, making the Netherlands the largest destination for Israeli outward FDI. SOMO reports that this represents more than half of Israel’s total outward FDI stock. In the opposite direction, Dutch foreign direct investment in Israel totalled €27.3 billion in 2024, making the Netherlands one of the larger sources of FDI in Israel, after the United States. SOMO notes that a substantial share of these investment flows is routed through Dutch-registered companies that function as holding or financing entities for international operations. Israeli companies including Teva Pharmaceuticals and ICL Group have established European headquarters in the Netherlands.[3]SOMO, The Netherlands-Israel Investment Files, 30.06.2026
The investment relationship also has a specific defense-industry dimension. Israeli arms manufacturers use Dutch corporate entities as structures for their European operations and investments. SOMO’s research focus on two of Israel’s largest arms manufacturers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems. Rafael uses the Dutch company ERCAS B.V. as a holding structure for subsidiaries in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Elbit uses two Dutch entities, Tala-Com wireless B.V. and Truley Investment B.V., to hold subsidiaries in Austria, Romania and Germany; these subsidiaries manufacture and sell military systems and components to European governments. The Dutch entities therefore provide a corporate structure through which Israeli defense companies maintain and expand manufacturing and commercial operations elsewhere in Europe.[4]SOMO, File 2: Indefensible: Dutch support to Israeli arms manufacturers, 30.06.2026
Military Relations
Israel and the Netherlands are holding close military relations. Israel exports a big variety of arms to the Netherlands including drones, air-to-ground missiles, battle management systems and Reccelite systems to the Dutch army. Between 2020-2025 the Netherlands has purchased weapons from Israel in approximately €1.5 billion.[5]NL Times, Dutch Defense Ministry hid purchase of Israeli weapons from parliament, 17.12.2025
Exchange of knowledge between Israel and the Netherlands taking place in different areas such as unmanned aerial vehicles, measures against improvised explosives and cyber-security.[6]Government NL : Miniser visits Israel The Dutch embassy in Israel operates a “Defense Team”, that is responsible for the development and deployment of activities aimed at bilateral military cooperation.[7]Netherlands Defense Department in Israel
In 2005 Israeli forces joined a three-week submarine exercise in Italy, together with the Dutch army and others.[8]Israel Defense Forces: NATO-Israel Joint Military Training Dutch corps of the commando troops went to train in Israel in 2012 and 2014.[9]Combat proven – Military reations between Israel and the Netherlands – english summary/
In 2014 the Dutch minister of defense Jeanine-Plasschaert visited Israel to discuss military cooperation with the Israeli counterpart. He then described the military cooperation between the states as primarily made up of the following aspects: Use of Israeli training facilities by soldiers of the Commando Corps; Knowledge exchange on technical aspects of remotely controlled aircraft; Knowledge exchange on measures against improvised explosive devices (IEDs); Knowledge exchange on cyber and Mutual participation in courses, training sessions, and seminars.[10]Dutch Government, Parliamentary Paper 23432, no. 372, 23.05.2014
Since the 2014 visit, Israel-Netherlands defense cooperation included regular military-to-military talks and a range of training and exchange activities. Israeli personnel took part in Dutch training in aviation physiology, submarine escape, and submarine command from 2015 onward. Dutch KMA cadets visited Israel annually from 2018. Dutch personnel participated in Israeli courses and seminars, including the International Liaison Course, medical training, and the 2021 Blue Flag exercise as observers, as well as the 2022 IDF International Innovation Conference. Dutch special forces had previously used an Israeli training facility in preparation for deployment to Mali. The cooperation was supported by a 2021 memorandum of understanding and a Status of Forces Agreement signed the same year, which set out legal arrangements for military personnel operating in each other’s countries.[11]Dutch Government, Parliamentary Paper 36021-B, 29.06.2023[12]Dutch Government, Parliamentary Paper 36470-X no. 3 Conference Year 2023-2024, 09.01.2024
The Dutch government stated that operational training and knowledge exchange with Israel stopped after October 7, and that future military cooperation would be reviewed case by case. In June 2025, the government said there had been no joint exercises or direct training with Israeli units for about a year and a half. At the same time, the Netherlands still described the relationship as including cooperation, training, and contractual arrangements, and the Chief of Defense, General Onno Eichelsheim, visited Israel on 24 March 2024 for meetings with IDF leadership.[13]Dutch Government, Parliamentary Paper 36021-B, 29.06.2023[14]Dutch Government, Parliamentary Paper 36470-X no. 3 Conference Year 2023-2024, 09.01.2024
In the last decade military exports from Israel to the Netherlands increased, with at least 20 deals between 2016 to 2026 (for details, see Deal List), including the Iron Fist[15]Defense News, Elbit to export Iron Fist system to the Netherlands, 11.02.2021 and Trophy active protections systems[16]Defence Industry Europe, EuroTrophy signs €330 million contract with KNDS Deutschland for Trophy APS on Leopard 2A8 tanks, 19.01.2026 for armored vehicles, Smash sights[17]Defense News, Dutch military buys Smart Shooter’s counter-drone system, 24.02.2022, Spike anti-tank missiles[18]SIPRI PULS rocket artillery systems,[19]EDR, EuroPULS: a multiple rocket launcher with munitions à la carte, 11.06.2024, J-MUSIC DIRCM Systems[20]Elbit Systems, Elbit Systems Selected to Provide DIRCM and Airborne EW Self Protection System for The Netherlands, 14.07.2022, drones, the Pegasus software[21]De Volkskrant, AIVD gebruikt omstreden Israëlische hacksoftware, 02.06.2022, Harop loitering munitions[22]Naval News, Netherlands firms up plans for multifunction support vessels, 27.09.2024 and more. Between 2020-2025 the Netherlands has purchased weapons from Israel in approximately €1.5 billion.[23]NL Times, Dutch Defense Ministry hid purchase of Israeli weapons from parliament, 17.12.2025
In 2024, the Dutch Ministry of Defense purchased Smash 3000 anti-drone sights from Israeli company Smartshooter without explicitly informing the Parliament about the Israeli origin of the system.[24]NL Times, Dutch Defense Ministry hid purchase of Israeli weapons from parliament, 17.12.2025
Cyber Security
Cyber security is another field where Israel and the Netherlands have strong credentials, around 25% of the money invested in cyber security is invested in Israeli companies.[25]Netherlands Investment in Israeli Cyber Security
Israel offers organizes leading conferences in the field such as CyberTech and CyberWeek. The Netherlands offers Israeli startups a unique testing environment for the application of new technologies as well as a gateway for Israeli scaleups to rest of the EU (European Union) and the global market.
The IDIC (Israeli Dutch Innovation Center) acts as a facilitator between Israel and Dutch technology companies, relevant government organizations and startups. Cybersecurity is one of its four areas of focus.[26]CONNECTING INNOVATION WORLDWIDE ISRAELI-DUTCH INNOVATION CENTER Between 2015-2019 several interactions were organized by the IDIC to intensify cooperation in cybersecurity between both countries. Delegations of policy makers were organized, such as a formal Startup delegation in 2015 led by Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp that visited Israel to enhance bilateral cooperation in the gas and cyber sector. Also, R&D missions were operated by the IDIC such as the Bilateral Forum signed during the visit of Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte in 2013.[27]IDIC : “Startup Nation” missions
In 2017 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced that it is investing millions of dollars in the dutch company Inpedio BV, a provider of cyber security solutions to governments and enterprises.[28]IAI Invests in two Cyber Companies in Holland and Hungary
In 2019 the AVID, the Netherlands’ General Intelligence and Security Service, deployed an hacking software by the Israeli NSO Group and deployed it to hack Ridouan Taghi’s phone, as revealed in an investigation by de Volkskrant.[29]De Volkskrant, AIVD gebruikt omstreden Israëlische hacksoftware, 02.06.2022
Usage of Israeli Arms
- Aerostar UAV: Used by Dutch army in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan[30]Dutch to Rent Israeli UAVs for Afghanistan
- Litening AT: Used by Dutch air force on F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrafts.
- Reccelite XR: Used by Dutch air force on F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrafts.
- Spike MR: 237 launchers and 1,974 missiles were assigned to Royal Netherlands Army, 60 launchers and 459 missiles were assigned to Royal Netherlands Marine-Corps. The first missiles were fired by the infantry regiment “Regiment van Heutsz” in 2004. The regiment was later stationed in Afghanistan between 2006-2010.
- Iron Fist: in use by Royal Netherlands Army on CV9035 armed vehicles.[31]Royal Netherlands Army to procures IMI’s “Iron Fist”
- Drones by the Israeli AeroSentinel are used by the Dutch army.[32]The Jerusalem Post, AeroSentinel production facility severely damaged after Iranian ballistic missile strike, 03.04.2026
Pegasus by NSO group: the Dutch intelligence service AIVD used NSO software to hack the phone of Ridouan Taghi. Eleven more people in the Netherlands were being spied on using Pegasus, but the identity of the entity behind the espionage is unclear.[33]NOS, Europarlementariër gehackt tijdens onderzoek naar spionagesoftware, 05.07.2026
Activism & court cases
2024: 10 human rights NGOs appealed to the Dutch court to stop the Netherlands from exporting weapons to Israel (which Israel is using in its genocide in Gaza) and trading with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, arguing that the Dutch state has a duty to take all reasonable measures to prevent genocide. The appeal was rejected in December, with the court stating that “there is no reason to impose a total ban on the export of military and dual-use goods on the state”.[34]Al Jazeera, Dutch court rejects bid to halt arms exports to Israel as Gaza war rages, 13.12.24