Nine EU nations urging the European Commission to propose ending trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, citing a recent International Court of Justice opinion. This move precedes a key EU foreign ministers’ meeting on June 23 to discuss ties with Israel.
Nine European Union countries have formally called upon the European Commission to develop proposals aimed at discontinuing trade between the EU and Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, Reuters reported on Thursday.
This initiative was conveyed in a letter addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, signed by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
The EU stands as Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for approximately one-third of its total goods trade. Last year, two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel reached 42.6 billion euros. However, the precise volume of this trade involving communities in Judea and Samaria remains unspecified.
The ministers’ appeal references a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which declared “Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and the settlements within them as illegal”. The Court’s opinion further stated that nations should implement measures to prevent trade or investment relations that contribute to the continuation of this situation.
“We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,” the ministers stated in their letter. They further emphasized, “We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court.”
Israel’s diplomatic mission to the EU has not issued a response to the request for comment.
This letter precedes a scheduled meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on June 23, where discussions regarding the bloc’s relationship with Israel are anticipated.
Ministers are also expected to receive an assessment concerning Israel’s adherence to a human rights clause within the pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, a review prompted by the situation in Gaza.
