EU to discuss ban on Israeli settlement products

EU foreign ministers will discuss a ban on imports of Israeli settlement products, following pressure from several member states on the bloc to take action, diplomats said on Friday.

Diplomats suggested that the debate scheduled for a meeting in Brussels on Monday is unlikely to yield concrete decisions, but it will help clarify the level of support for moving forward with such measures.

Several EU countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, have already imposed their own trade restrictions on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal under international law.

Under growing pressure on the bloc to act, options to restrict trade with the settlements, including an outright ban, were raised this week. A dispute within the EU centers on whether such a measure requires the consensus of all 27 member states or can be adopted by a majority.

Diplomats say that Germany and Italy have not yet made up their minds on this step.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis live among approximately three million Palestinians in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, in settlements and outposts deemed illegal under international law.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the ongoing settlement expansion in the West Bank, stating in a report seen by Agence France-Presse last month that these settlements are contributing to “the largest displacement crisis in the West Bank since 1967.”