The European Union’s hostile stance toward towns in Judea and Samaria is intensifying: As reported Sunday night by Euronews, after months of stalemate, the European Commission has caved to pressure from EU member states. According to the report, the Commission will present by July 13 a list of ‘options’ for restricting trade with products coming from Jewish communities.
The move, designed to deepen the boycott of Israeli products from Judea and Samaria, comes following demands from foreign ministers of EU member states. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed after the meeting in Luxembourg that she intends to submit to the Commission a request to prepare a “list of measures,” which explicitly include restrictions on imports of products from what they call “illegal settlements.”
European Parliament | Photo: Nati LangermanThe Dubious Legal Pretext
The European Union is trying to rely on controversial legal opinions from 2024 by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which claim that the settlements are illegal. Countries like France and Sweden are leading the aggressive line, arguing that imposing tariffs on Judea and Samaria community products is a “normal step.” French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Nicolas Forissier even stated recently that this is “not an aggressive” policy.
Meanwhile, the European Commission itself has been wary of such a move until now, since under EU law, measures of this type are defined as sanctions requiring unanimous agreement of all member states—agreement that does not currently exist. However, it appears that political pressure is overriding legal considerations, and the Union is seeking creative ways to “bypass” the unanimity requirement in order to punish Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
Israel Determined: No More “Temporary Sites”
The Israeli government has flatly rejected attempts to portray the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria as illegal, and has defined the European measures as a blatant attempt at interference and delegitimization of the Zionist enterprise. Despite the diplomatic pressure, Israel continues to strengthen its hold in Judea and Samaria, including steps in planning and licensing that constitute natural sovereignty over the homeland.
The final decision regarding the nature of the measures will likely be made ahead of the next meeting of European foreign ministers in July. Until then, it’s clear that Brussels continues to focus on narrowing Israel’s steps, instead of dealing with the continent’s real challenges.