EU Foreign Ministers, who are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Monday, are expected to agree on sanctions against Israeli ‘’violent settlers’’ in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), according to various sources.
‘’I think we’re moving closer to a moment when there will be unanimity (amng the 27 EU member states) around this issue,’’ a EU high ranking official said on Friday.
Until now unanimity could not be reached because of Hungary blocking any move to such sanctions. But as there was a power change in this country following the electoral victory of pro-EU Peter Magyar against Viktor Orban, the blocking vote might end.
But Hungary is likely be represented by a civil servant at Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council as the future new Foreign Minister will not be confirmed in the role by the Hungarian parliament until later next week. So we have to wait until Monday to get a hint on Hungary’s position on Israel.
According to the high ranking EU official, a political agreement instead of a formal agreement on sanctions against violent settlers might come out from the discussion.
‘ There has also been a conversation about sanctions against Hamas operatives so I think you will see most likely a combination of both, I mean that is what we’ve been working on, violent settlers and Hamas operatives. But again,’’ he added.
Several EU member states have asked EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas to look with the European Commission at various options of sanctions against Israel for its West Bank settlement policy. Among the measures, a proposal by Spain, Ireland and Slovenia to suspending the trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, have so far fallen short of the required qualified majority among member states. Germany and Italy rejected such a move at the previous Foreign Affairs Council in March.