Over 500 former European diplomats urge EU sanctions on Israel

More than 500 former European ministers and diplomats, including four former prime ministers, have called on the European Union to urgently impose sanctions against Israeli settlement policies. Warning that the E1 project would extinguish a two-state solution, the signatories demanded a ban on trade with illegal settlements and binding steps at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 12 October.

More than 500 former European ministers, ambassadors, and senior officials, including four former prime ministers, have called on the European Union (EU) to take urgent measures against the expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.

The signatories warned that it is merely a matter of time before the Israeli government announces construction tenders for the first phase of the E1 settlement project, which would bisect the West Bank and eliminate the possibility of a two-state solution.

Sanctions on financial bodies and trade ban demand

Addressing the European Commission, the senior diplomats and politicians demanded that sanctions be proposed without delay against all financial institutions and service providers supporting illegal settlements, above all E1.

The initiative text called for the presentation of legislative proposals that would prevent trade between the EU and these settlements. The signatories also requested the progression of long-stalled drafts stipulating the suspension of trade provisions in the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The initiative stressed that decisions must be taken at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 12 October.

“Time for the EU and member states to act”

Attention was drawn to the requirement that EU bodies and member state governments act in accordance with their clear obligations under the founding treaties of the EU and international law.

The statement noted that internal EU divisions resulting from the stances of Germany, Italy, and other countries blocking the adoption of joint measures must be overcome.

The call for urgent action pointed to ongoing civilian casualties and severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza, accompanied by inadequate aid deliveries and reconstruction activities that have ground to a halt, as well as escalating settler violence, land seizures, and the relentless displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

The statement concluded: “The time for the EU and its member states to act is definitely now.”