From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Belgium agrees to ban goods from Israeli settlements
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Amid a last-minute wave of legislation before adjourning for the summer, Belgium’s federal government agrees to implement an import ban on products from Israeli settlements.
The government committed to imposing a ban on settlement goods last September amid a wave of Palestinian statehood recognitions and other measures in Europe to punish Israel for its policies in the Gaza Strip. The measure has been stuck in political deadlock since then, according to the Euractiv news outlet.
Specific details of the import ban have not been released.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry declines to issue a response to the move.
The decision comes as the European Union is also pushing for EU-wide trade restrictions on Israeli communities over the Green Line and in the Golan Heights. Last week, all 27 EU ambassadors debated a trade ban with settlements, but no decision was made.
The Times of Israel Community.