European countries have increasingly criticized Israel recently, while strong supporters such as Merz and Meloni – key conservative EU leaders – have adopted a tougher stance against expansionist plans. A recent video of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting activists detained on their way to deliver supplies to Gaza heightened the criticism.
In a joint statement, French, German, Italian, and British leaders urged Israel to halt settlement expansion, ensure accountability for settler violence, and respect the Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s Holy Sites. They also called for lifting financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority.
The statement warned companies bidding for construction projects in the E1 area of potential legal consequences. Additionally, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced that the Netherlands would ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements.
Last summer, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also criticized Israel for the E1 settlement plan, warning it would disrupt the geographic and territorial connection between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and sever ties between the northern and southern West Bank.
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