April 21, 2026, 6:50 p.mApril 21, 2026, 6:50 p.m
EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas and the Dutch Foreign Minister on Tuesday in Luxembourg.Image: keystone
A new push for sanctions against Israel in the EU has failed. EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg that there were not the necessary majorities for trade restrictions or other proposed measures. To do this, member states would have to change their position.
At the EU meeting, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, among others, spoke out clearly against proposals for far-reaching EU sanctions on Israel. Measures such as eliminating free trade benefits are considered “inappropriate,” said the CDU politician. However, this does not mean that there is no need to talk to Israel about critical issues.
Wadephul cited the introduction of the death penalty and acts of violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank as examples. “I expect the Israeli government as a whole to counter this settler violence more clearly, firmly and with all legal means,” he said. There should also be no annexation in the West Bank.
Spain warns of the EU’s loss of credibility
Countries such as Spain, Belgium and Ireland, on the other hand, urged the EU to take tougher action against Israel and advocated the removal of free trade benefits, which had already been discussed last year. The European Union will lose its credibility if it is unable to tell Israel that it needs a change of course, said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. The situation has recently deteriorated further.
Specifically, Albares denounced violations of the ceasefire in Gaza and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. He described Israel’s actions in Lebanon as a “war of invasion in violation of international law with indiscriminate bombings.”
As a possible compromise in the internal EU dispute over possible sanctions against Israel, France and Sweden proposed restricting the import of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories. For example, customs duties and import controls should be examined.
According to Kallas, this initiative has not yet been supported by a sufficient number of member states. A so-called qualified majority of member states is required for trade measures in the EU. This means that 15 of the 27 EU states would have to agree and together they would have to represent at least 65 percent of the total population of the EU. The complete suspension of the partnership agreement between the EU and Israel, which is also being discussed, would even require unanimity. (sda/dpa)