The European Union has reached an agreement to impose sanctions on certain violent Israeli settlers, marking a breakthrough after years of impasse on the issue. However, some officials consider this move only a minor progression. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, emphasized the impact of the decision by declaring that “violence and extremism carry consequences.” Despite this development, the 27 EU member states remain divided on implementing broader trade sanctions.
France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, stated that the EU is taking action against the main Israeli organizations and leaders supporting extremist activities and violent colonization in the West Bank. He expressed the urgency of halting such “most serious and intolerable acts” via social media. Although the agreed sanctions have yet to be fully detailed, it is known that they do not include extremist Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who were previously sanctioned by the UK last June for their incitements of violence against Palestinian communities.
This resolution became possible after Hungary’s new pro-EU government lifted its previous veto on the sanctions, which had been maintained by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Additionally, the EU plans to impose sanctions on leading figures within Hamas, as mentioned by Kallas. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, criticized the EU’s decision, describing it as an “arbitrary and political” move targeting Israeli citizens and entities based on their political views without justification.
While the sanctions affect only a small number of settlers, they fall short of the more stringent measures some member states have advocated. France and Sweden, for instance, have called for tariffs on products imported from illegal settlements, stressing the need for the EU to intensify pressure on Israel to cease its settlement activities. Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, suggested that imposing tariffs on goods from illegal settlements might be the most feasible approach. Unlike outright product bans, which require unanimous consent from all member states, tariffs can be enacted through a majority vote.
According to the EU-Israel association agreement, goods originating from occupied territories are excluded from preferential trade terms, although trade is not entirely prohibited. This nuanced stance highlights the complexities and varied opinions within the EU regarding its approach to Israeli settlements and their broader geopolitical implications.