9 Countries Call on the European Commission to Halt Trade with Unlawful Israeli Settlements

Nine EU member states have called on the European Commission to present practical proposals to halt trade between the European bloc and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to an official letter seen by Reuters.

In detail, the foreign ministers of Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Poland, and Slovenia addressed the letter to the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, pointing out that "the Commission has not yet put forward proposals to start discussions on how to effectively halt trade of goods and services with unlawful settlements."

The ministers in the letter emphasized the need for "the European Commission to propose concrete measures to ensure the EU's compliance with the obligations set by the International Court of Justice."

The nine countries relied on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued in July 2023, which affirmed that "Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are unlawful," calling on countries to "take action to prevent commercial or investment relationships that contribute to the maintenance of the current situation."

It is worth noting that the European Union is Israel's largest trading partner, with the trade value between them reaching 42.6 billion euros (48.91 billion dollars) in 2024, but the exact value related to settlements is not known.

According to Reuters, Belgian Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, commented: "Trade cannot be separated from our legal and ethical responsibilities," adding: "It is about ensuring that EU policies do not directly or indirectly support the sustainability of an unlawful situation."

EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss these demands during their meeting in Brussels on June 23, as part of their dialogue on the bloc's relationship with Israel.