EU countries consider sanctions on trade from illegal Israeli settlements

Pressure from EU member states to impose sanctions has increased in recent months amid escalating settler violence.The European Union’s foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.Pressure from EU member states to impose sanctions has increased in recent months due to escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property and the Israeli government’s continued expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Detained by settlers, US Democrat Ro Khanna now faces pro-Israel attackslist 2 of 3Elderly Palestinian describes being beaten up by Israeli settlerslist 3 of 3EU states do not need ‘consensus’ to hold Israel accountableend of listA senior EU diplomat said the European Commission drafted a paper outlining possible approaches and many options are on the table on Monday, including an import licensing system, prohibitive tariffs or a ban, the Reuters news agency reported.“Everybody agrees that the situation in the West Bank is really intolerable,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said at the start of the meeting in Brussels.“What is happening in the West Bank is actually making it more and more impossible that the two-state solution ever can come into effect,” Kallas said.Speaking on condition of anonymity, a diplomat told Reuters: “I ⁠think what you will see on Monday is a discussion on the options, and we will get a bit of a ⁠picture of where everybody is.”Diplomats said they did not expect a formal decision on any particular measure but the meeting would help to sound out if there is enough support to move forward.There’s lack of unity in Brussels as to whether any penalty would need backing from all 27 member states or just a weighted majority.Some diplomats said banning trade with Israeli settlements would require a qualified majority of at least 15 EU states, representing 65 percent of the bloc’s population.