EU stalls on banning illegal Israeli settlement goods despite legal consensus

The European Union is stuck in a bureaucratic deadlock over how to handle products from illegal Israeli settlements. All 27 member states agree the settlements violate international law and undermine a two-state solution. But they cannot agree on what to do about the goods Europe imports from them. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday that a trade ban has the most support among member states. "Unfortunately, we need to have a unified position, and so far, we have not been able to reach that common position," she said after a meeting of foreign ministers. Countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland want to ban imports from the settlements. Germany, Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic oppose punishing Israel. The European Commission has proposed several options: a total or partial import ban, punitive tariffs, or a licensing system. Kallas called the support for a ban a step forward. False debates delay action Even with legal agreement, the EU has created what critics call false debates. Some ambassadors argue over whether trade ministers or foreign ministers should decide. Others question if the decision needs unanimous approval or a simple majority. Kallas noted the EU has a legal opinion saying trade issues can be decided by a qualified majority. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who sides with Germany, is more reluctant to act against settlements. Some capitals now want to wait until after Israeli elections on October 27, fearing the impact on the vote. Spain has already banned such imports at the national level. Its foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said: "There is an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice from 2024 that says very clearly that trade with products from these settlements is illegal." Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway have also proposed national laws to ban the trade. Former European officials, including ex-Spanish foreign minister Arancha González Laya and former EU trade commissioners Pascal Lamy and Cecilia Malmström, have urged the EU to act. In a letter, they said the European Commission should "present without further delay a proposal for a carefully calibrated EU ban on trade with the settlements." Human rights group Oxfam called the delays a violation of international law. Spokesperson Bushra Khalidi said: "The legal obligation is clear, and EU countries know it. Any delay not only has a human cost but is also a flagrant and ongoing violation of international law." Meanwhile, the EU launched a new recovery initiative for Gaza on Monday. EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to start the "Team Gaza" plan. It includes 883.6 million euros for rebuilding water, sanitation, health, energy, and agriculture infrastructure.