The European Union has reached an agreement to impose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, breaking a longstanding impasse on the issue, though it is deemed only a minor advancement by some officials. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that “violence and extremism carry consequences,” signaling the bloc’s stance against such actions. However, there remains a lack of agreement among the 27 member states regarding more impactful trade sanctions.
According to France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, the EU is targeting sanctions at major Israeli organizations that support extremist and violent colonization efforts in the West Bank, along with their leaders. Barrot expressed urgency for these “most serious and intolerable acts” to end immediately. While the full list of individuals has not been disclosed, it reportedly does not include Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who are already under UK sanctions for inciting violence against Palestinian communities.
The breakthrough came after Hungary’s new pro-EU administration lifted its veto, a position previously maintained by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, thus allowing the sanctions to proceed. Additionally, the EU plans to sanction key figures within Hamas, as stated by Kallas. In response, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, criticized the EU for imposing sanctions based on political views without justification, describing the decision as arbitrary and politically motivated.
Despite these measures, the sanctions affect only a limited number of settlers and fall short of some member states’ aspirations. France and Sweden have advocated for tariffs on products from illegal settlements, arguing that increased pressure on Israel is necessary to halt its settlement policies. Sweden’s foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, suggested that imposing tariffs is the most feasible option, as banning products requires unanimous consent among EU members, whereas tariffs can be enacted by a majority vote.
Under the current EU-Israel association agreement, products from the occupied territories do not benefit from preferential trade terms, yet trade is not outright prohibited. This nuanced approach reflects the EU’s complex diplomatic balancing act in addressing the contentious settlement issue while navigating internal member state dynamics.