EU foreign ministers will discuss imposing an import ban on products from Israeli settlements, after pressure from a raft of member states for the bloc to take action, diplomats say.
Diplomats say the debate at a meeting in Brussels on Monday is not expected to yield any concrete decisions, but will help to sound out if there is enough support to move forward.
Several EU countries — including Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain — have already imposed their own trade restrictions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal under international law. Israel disputes that determination.
Under pressure for the EU as a whole to take measures, the bloc’s executive this week laid out options to curb trade with settlements, including a ban.
There is disagreement in Brussels as to whether that move would need backing from all 27 member states or just a weighted majority, a standard the EU uses for some decisions.
Diplomats say that key players Germany and Italy are still undecided on the move.
The EU has long been hampered by divisions over its approach towards Israel, some members staunchly backing the country and others opposing it out of support for the Palestinians.
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