Belgium bans settlement imports, escalating pressure on EU to boycott West Bank goods

Belgium’s government has approved a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, joining a growing number of European countries taking unilateral action on the issue. The decision, approved at the end of last week, represents a significant step by Brussels to restrict trade with settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories and other disputed areas. The move comes as individual EU member states increasingly pursue their own policies on settlement goods, creating a patchwork of national restrictions across the bloc. Belgium’s action puts renewed pressure on the European Union itself to adopt a bloc-wide position on the contentious issue. The EU has previously circulated a document to member states outlining possible measures to restrict settlement imports from the West Bank, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but has stopped short of implementing a formal decision or mandatory boycott across all member states. The lack of a unified EU approach has allowed countries like Belgium to move ahead independently, highlighting deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law by most countries and the United Nations.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.