European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss a proposal to ban imports of products from Israeli settlements, amid growing pressure from several member states to take action against settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
AFP, citing diplomats, reported last night that the meeting is not expected to produce concrete decisions, but it will reveal the level of support within the EU for imposing trade restrictions on settlement products, including the option of a complete ban.
Several European countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, have already implemented trade restrictions targeting products from Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
These discussions follow the presentation this week of several options for limiting trade with the settlements, amid a legal and political dispute within the EU regarding the mechanism for adopting such a decision. Member states disagree on whether it requires the unanimous agreement of all 27 member states or can be passed by a simple majority vote.
According to diplomats, Germany and Italy have not yet finalized their positions on the proposal, while divisions among member states continue to hinder the adoption of a unified European stance toward Israel. Some governments tend to support Israel, while others adopt positions more supportive of the Palestinians.
This comes amidst an escalation of systematic and ongoing attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank.
