In a significant development, the European Union has finally reached an agreement to impose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, a move that has been stalled for years. However, one Member of the European Parliament described the action as merely a “baby step.” On Monday, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, emphasized the repercussions of violence and extremism by stating, “Violence and extremism carry consequences.” Despite this progress, the 27 EU member states have yet to reach a consensus regarding more severe trade sanctions.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that the EU is targeting the main Israeli organizations responsible for endorsing the extremist and violent colonization of the West Bank, as well as their leaders. Barrot stressed the urgency of addressing these serious acts, which he described as intolerable, through a statement on social media. Although the agreement in principle was achieved on Monday, the complete list of sanctioned individuals has not been disclosed. Notably, it does not include Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have already faced UK sanctions since last June for inciting violence against Palestinian communities.
The breakthrough occurred after Hungary’s newly elected pro-EU government lifted its veto, which had been previously maintained by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In addition to targeting Israeli settlers, Kallas indicated that the EU would also sanction prominent figures within Hamas. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized the EU’s decision, calling it arbitrary and politically motivated, as it sanctions Israeli citizens and entities based on their political beliefs without justification.
While the sanctions target a limited number of settlers, they fall short of the broader measures sought by some EU member states. France and Sweden have advocated for tariffs on goods imported from illegal settlements, expressing their belief that the EU must increase its pressure on Israel to cease its settlement policy. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard regarded tariffs on products from illegal settlements as the most viable option. Unlike banning products, which requires unanimous agreement among the 27 member states, tariffs can be imposed by a majority vote.
Under the existing EU-Israel association agreement, goods from the occupied territories do not benefit from preferential trade terms, but trade itself is not prohibited. This recent decision by the EU marks a step forward in addressing the complex issue of Israeli settlements, though further action remains a topic of debate among European nations.