The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the government was not involved, and the decision to bar the settler mayors seemed to have been made solely by a group called the Association of Dutch Cities. Nonetheless, the barring of the settler mayors is part of a widening circle of protests against Israel over its settlement policy.
The Union of Local Authorities in Israel said 40 mayors planned a professional study trip to the Netherlands in October, but on Sunday the Union said its Dutch counterpart said the five settler mayors in the delegation could not take part."
