European Union leaders on Tuesday expressed frustration at the bloc's failure to address rising violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
They described efforts to collectively ban all trade with Israeli settlements in the territory as having hit a brick wall.
Questioned by reporters about the case of Saeed Al Amour, an elderly Palestinian olive farmer who had his leg amputated after he was shot this year by Israeli settlers, Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs and security policy chief, described such incidents as “extremely disturbing”.
“I share your concern. We have been sending these [condemnation] messages but clearly strong action would be something that would send a clear message,” she said.
Ms Kallas, who was speaking at an informal meeting of the bloc's defence ministers in Ireland, said while some EU nations felt the response should be to ban trade with Israeli settlements, there was so far no “concrete proposal” from the European Commission to be discussed.
She added that “not all member states are on board” – a reference to countries including Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic that have said they would block a blanket ban on trade.
The EU supports a two-state solution. In 2024, the International Court of Justice said countries should stop fuelling the Israeli occupation and should refrain from ending trade with settlements, considered illegal under international law.
Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has risen since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Last month, a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing domestic and international condemnation.
Endless loop
Ireland, which currently holds the EU presidency, has encouraged EU nations to address the matter. Dublin has passed national legislation to implement a ban in the coming weeks, after Spain did so last year. The Netherlands is also moving ahead this month with a trading ban. Israel has responded by expelling two Dutch officials from a Gaza support centre in Israel.
Little progress has been made at EU level, with the European Commission dragging its feet until July before presenting an options paper, despite months of demands by several member states led by France and Sweden.
The commission delivered the options paper at the last formal meeting of foreign ministers, three months before their next such gathering scheduled for October. Tuesday's meeting in Ireland is informal, meaning no decisions can be made.
In turn, countries such as Italy, which remain on the fence, have said they need a more substantial proposal before they clarify their position. The commission has said it will not put forward a full proposal, citing a lack of qualified majority backing it. In July, only 11 countries out of 27 explicitly asked for it – leading to an endless loop of non-decision.
Ms Kallas has previously expressed frustration with the commission, saying she could not write the proposal for them. In July, Israel cut off contact with her after she was reported to have privately used the word “apartheid” to discuss the situation in the West Bank. There is little chance of mending relations before Israeli elections in late October.
Helen McEntee, Ireland's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, as well as Defence Minister, described the situation as an “impasse”. Referring to the controversial E1 settlement project, which would divide the West Bank in two and bury the prospect of a Palestinian state – and the Israeli government is pushing ahead with – Ms McEntee said the EU needed to “respond accordingly”.
“We need to show that, as countries, we uphold international law, and that we respond effectively,” she said.
Speaking to The National last week in Paris, French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier said that unlike Ireland and the Netherlands, his country would not move forward with a ban at national level. “Since this is a matter of principle and ethics for us, we would prefer it to be handled by the EU as a whole,” he said.
Echoing an argument made by opponents to a ban at the commission in Brussels, Mr Forissier added: “I’m not convinced it would have much of an impact; very little trade is involved. As far as France is concerned, it’s practically nothing – it’s negligible.”
The commission has not released figures on trade between the bloc and Israeli settlements. Based on informal Israeli estimates, it is believed to reach €76.5 million ($88.7 million) a year. The EU's overall trade with Israel reached €43.3 billion in 2025.
