The European Union has reached an agreement to impose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, marking a significant step forward after years of standstill on the issue. However, the measures have been described as only a “baby step” by some EU officials, including Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, who emphasized that “violence and extremism carry consequences.” Despite this breakthrough, the 27 EU member states have yet to achieve consensus on more severe trade sanctions.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that the sanctions would target key Israeli organizations that support the extremist and violent colonization of the West Bank, along with their leaders. In a social media post, Barrot stressed that these “most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay.” Although a full list of those affected has not been disclosed, it is understood that extremist Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are not included, despite being sanctioned by the UK earlier for inciting violence against Palestinian communities.
The breakthrough came as Hungary’s newly elected pro-EU government lifted its veto on the sanctions, which had previously been blocked under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Kallas also mentioned that the EU would extend sanctions to include leading figures from Hamas. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized the EU’s decision, claiming it was an arbitrary and political move against Israeli citizens and entities based on their political views.
The measures, which affect only a limited number of settlers, fall short of the comprehensive actions desired by some member states. France and Sweden, in particular, have advocated for tariffs on imported products from illegal settlements, urging the EU to increase pressure on Israel to halt its settlement policies. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard called tariffs the “most realistic proposal,” given that banning products requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, while tariffs can be enacted by a majority vote.
Under the current EU-Israel association agreement, goods from the occupied territories are excluded from preferential trade terms but are not outright banned. This agreement represents a cautious yet pivotal move by the EU in addressing the complexities of Israeli settlement activities and their broader geopolitical implications.