EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas said Monday that a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria received the widest support among EU foreign ministers, according to N12's Asaf Rozentzweig. Kallas stated the European Commission's legal service determined the measure could be adopted without unanimous member-state consent, and the matter will be referred to EU ambassadors for further action.
EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas specified Monday evening that a full ban on trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria received the widest support among EU foreign ministers, according to N12's Asaf Rozentzweig. In an earlier statement today at 21:00, Kallas announced the EU was advancing several options to restrict settlement trade. The new detail clarifies that the most ambitious option — a trade ban — has the greatest backing, and that the European Commission's legal service has determined it can be adopted by a qualified majority vote rather than requiring unanimous consent. Kallas said the matter will now be referred to EU ambassadors for further deliberation. The development follows a months-long EU push to tighten measures against settlements, which the bloc considers illegal under international law. The Zioneer reported earlier today that the EU was considering a licensing system, tariffs, or a full ban, but the voting threshold remained unclear. The legal opinion resolves that uncertainty, potentially accelerating the decision.
4 developments
- DevelopingAmbiguity Over Voting Threshold for EU Ban on Settlement Imports; No Decision Today
- DevelopingEU considers significant escalation in sanctions on settlement goods
- DevelopingEU foreign policy chief says no majority for sanctions on Israeli minister Ben Gvir
- DevelopingUK advises businesses to avoid activity in settlements; six nations impose sanctions on settler violence enablers
Source and signal
- Internal intake