The options paper was requested by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, after a meeting with foreign ministers in Luxembourg last month. The Commission has already suggested possible trade restrictions and sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers, but these have not gained the necessary support from member countries.
Suspending a trade agreement with Israel completely or sanctioning individual politicians would need unanimous support from all 27 EU countries, and Czechia has promised to veto any such actions.
While goods from Israeli West Bank settlements are technically excluded from preferential trade arrangements for export to the EU, there are concerns from capitals that they might benefit from those terms without being properly labeled or monitored.
Foreign ministers will discuss the proposals at a summit in Brussels on July 13.
“It’s a symbolic measure,” commented one EU official critical of the proposals, granted anonymity to speak freely. “To do a symbolic measure now is too little, too late — and when they have elections, it’s driving the rhetoric that Israel’s hardline ministers want.” Israel has a parliamentary election in October.
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