Which 9 European Countries Are Calling for an End to Trade with Illegal Israeli Settlements?

Nine European Union member states have officially urged the European Commission to submit concrete proposals to halt trade with Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories. This was revealed in a letter reviewed by Reuters on Thursday, June 19, addressed to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

The foreign ministers of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden are the signatories of this unprecedented diplomatic initiative. France, a major player in European diplomacy, is not among the signatories.

Increased Pressure on Brussels Ahead of June 23 Summit

The letter comes just ahead of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on June 23, during which European foreign ministers are set to reassess economic and political relations with Israel, particularly concerning human rights clauses in bilateral agreements.

Pressure is mounting for the European Commission to align its trade policy with international law, especially following the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which deemed the Israeli occupation and the construction of settlements as violations of international law.

A Disconnect Between Values and Trade Practices

In their letter, the nine ministers note that the European Union, Israel’s main trading partner, has yet to propose a clear mechanism to exclude products and services from settlements from the single market. In 2023, trade in goods between the EU and Israel reached €42.6 billion, nearly a third of Israel’s foreign trade, although the exact share related to the settlements remains unquantified.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, told Reuters that the EU cannot ignore its ethical and legal responsibilities, adding:

“Trade cannot be divorced from our principles. We must ensure that our exchanges do not, directly or indirectly, contribute to maintaining an illegal order.”

Ireland Leading the Way: A Concrete Step Toward Boycott

Meanwhile, Ireland became the first EU country in May to initiate legislative proceedings explicitly banning the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The bill, approved by the government, will be examined in the Irish Parliament this summer, with a possible enactment by the end of 2025.

This decision is part of a tense political climate. Ireland, which recognized the State of Palestine in 2024, shares this stance with Spain, Slovenia, and Norway, and is responding to a series of significant developments:

• The tragic human toll of Israeli offensives in Gaza since October 2023;

• Growing popular and parliamentary pressure for a clear break with Israel;

• Israel’s refusal to cooperate with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, described by Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris as a “shameful and heinous act”;

• A historic sense of empathy among the Irish people towards Palestinians, often compared to Ireland’s own colonial experience under British rule.

Global Analysis

This partial European mobilization highlights the growing divisions within the EU over the management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the Nordic, Iberian, and some Central European countries take a firm stance in favor of international law, others such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands maintain a more cautious line, often tied to diplomatic and economic considerations.

However, the message sent by these nine countries to Brussels is strong: the status quo is increasingly untenable as images of destruction in Gaza and the impunity of illegal settlements undermine the credibility of the European discourse on human rights. The implementation of restrictive trade measures, even if targeted, could mark a historic turning point in EU foreign policy if it manages to make its way onto the European Council’s agenda.

Finally, France’s absence among the signatories could dent its image as a neutral power in the region, as Paris seeks to play a mediating role on the international stage.

If the EU fails to reach a consensus, national initiatives like Dublin’s could pave the way for a differentiated policy, where each state acts based on its own assessment of Israel’s adherence to international law.