EU Foreign Ministers to Discuss Measures to Restrict Trade with Israeli Settlements

BRUSSELS, July 13 (Reuters) – EU foreign ministers are set to convene on Monday to assess whether sufficient political backing exists for new measures that would restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to diplomats and officials.

The debate will draw on a confidential European Commission paper outlining three possible approaches: an import licensing regime, steep tariffs, or a complete trade ban, according to a senior EU diplomat and a European official.

The EU has historically found it difficult to make decisive moves on Middle East policy due to enduring divisions among its 27 member states, especially regarding the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.

However, mounting pressure from member governments to act on settlements has intensified in recent months, driven by rising violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers and growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, which has continued to expand settlements.

In May, the EU imposed sanctions on four entities and three individuals, citing serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.

A July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and West Bank settlements illegal, urging states to take measures that would prevent trade or investment that sustains the situation.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has described European efforts to implement the advisory opinion as ‘shameful’.

U.N. bodies and the majority of countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, while Israel disputes this, characterizing the territory as disputed and noting a Jewish presence there for millennia.

‘I think Monday’s discussion will reveal the range of options on the table and give us an indication of each participant’s position,’ the diplomat said, requesting anonymity to discuss confidential internal deliberations.

Diplomats indicated they do not anticipate a formal decision on any specific measure during Monday’s session.

The disagreement also extends to the procedural method by which any decision might be reached.

Some diplomats argue that a trade ban on settlements would require a qualified majority—at least 15 EU member states representing 65% of the bloc’s population—but the Commission’s paper indicates that unanimity may be required, a threshold that would likely render any decision unattainable.

European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed that the paper has been circulated among member states but declined to comment on its contents.

Reporting by Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray

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