European Union Considering Imposing Tariffs on Israeli Products
The European Union's foreign ministers will decide next Monday on imposing tariffs on settlement products and sanctioning Israeli ministers, amid growing European anger over settlement policies and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Share It :
According to Taghrib News Agency (TNA), a series of potential punitive measures against Israel are on the agenda of the European Union Foreign Ministers' meeting, scheduled to be held next Monday in Brussels, Belgium. This comes as European criticism of settlement policies and the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories has increased.
According to the Israeli news channel Kan, the meeting will discuss a French-Swedish initiative aimed at imposing tariffs on products originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the occupied Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem that are supplied to the Union.
The report, citing Israeli diplomats, stated that the approval of this resolution is "highly likely." Such a decision stems from the growing anger in Europe over settlement expansion, settler violence, and controversial Israeli laws that contradict the fundamental values and human rights embedded in the cooperation agreement with the European Union.
If this proposal is approved, European Union countries will impose comprehensive tariffs that could increase the prices of settlement products (such as dates, beverages, and Dead Sea products) in European markets by 20 to 30 percent, directly impacting these exports.
Notably, this resolution does not require approval from all 27 member states but rather a "qualified majority," making the positions of Germany and Italy crucial in the vote.
Michael Mann, the European Union's ambassador to Israel, emphasized that the significant increase in settlement activities is a "red line," and that Brussels is considering further measures to pressure the Israeli regime to change its policies, particularly regarding settlements and the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.
The current Israeli cabinet has accelerated settlement expansion by approving the construction of 54 new settlements in 2025.
Parallel to the economic measures, the European Union is also considering imposing sanctions against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as sanctions against settlers involved in violent acts.
