Utolsó frissítés: 2026.07.13. — Szerző: Anti-Propaganda News Blog
Pressure from EU member states to impose sanctions has increased in recent months due to the escalation of settler violence.
Written by: AFP, DPA and Reuters
European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Pressure from EU member states to impose sanctions has increased in recent months due to the escalation of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property, as well as the Israeli government's continued expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law.
A senior EU diplomat told Reuters the European Commission had prepared a document outlining possible approaches and several options were on the table on Monday, including an import licensing system, prohibitive tariffs or a trade ban.
„Everyone agrees that the situation in the West Bank is truly intolerable,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas at the start of the meeting in Brussels.
„What is happening in the West Bank is actually making it increasingly impossible for the two-state solution to ever be realized,” Kallas said.
A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: „I think what we will see on Monday is a discussion of options and a picture of who stands where.”
Diplomats say they do not expect a formal decision on any specific measures, but the meeting will help gauge whether there is enough support to move forward.
There is no unity in Brussels on whether a possible penalty requires the support of all 27 member states or only a qualified majority.
Some diplomats say a ban on trade with Israeli settlements would require a qualified majority of at least 15 EU member states, representing 65 percent of the bloc's population.
However, the Commission document suggested that a ban would require unanimous support, a threshold that the bloc would most likely not reach.
Spain, Ireland and Belgium have called for severe sanctions against Israel over its settlement policies, while others, including Germany and Italy, have not yet decided on such a move.
„There have been many requests from member states to ban trade in illegal colonies,” said Kallas.
„"Let's see if these options that have now been offered receive stronger support from member states," he added.
Illegal settlements
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the territory – not including occupied East Jerusalem – among around three million Palestinians.
The International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 advisory opinion, stated that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements in the West Bank are illegal and that states must take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation.
Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain have already imposed their own trade restrictions on Israeli settlements.
Israel rejects this, considering the territory disputed and claiming that a Jewish presence has existed there for millennia.
