THE HAGUE, July 23 -- In the orchards north of Ramallah, Israeli settlers export avocados, dates, and fresh herbs to European supermarkets through the port of Ashdod and, from there, onward to Rotterdam, one of the world's busiest trading hubs. From September 22, those goods will no longer be permitted to enter the Netherlands.

The Dutch cabinet approved a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Berendsen confirmed Tuesday, making the Netherlands the fifth European Union member state to act unilaterally as Brussels remains unable to coordinate a bloc-wide response, Al Jazeera reported.

The decision carries more weight than any of its predecessors. The Netherla...