Sweden and the Netherlands are pressing the European Union to sanction members of the Israeli cabinet over the war in Gaza, joining several other nations in the region whose stance on Israel has hardened in recent weeks.
Swedish and Dutch officials invoked measures against hard-line figures in the Israeli government at a recent meeting of top European diplomats, according to people familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
The two nations also joined Spain, Finland, Luxembourg and Ireland in advocating for further sanctions against settlers they deem responsible for violence in the West Bank, according to the people.
The conversations came before Israel launched airstrikes across Iran on Friday morning, targeting nuclear facilities and killing senior military commanders, marking a major escalation that could spark a broad war in the Middle East.
The proposals for strong measures against officials come amid Israel’s increasing isolation on the world stage as leaders toughen their stance on the country. The measures will be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on June 23 in the lead up to a leaders’ summit in Brussels later this month.
The push follows coordinated moves by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway to sanction two Israeli government ministers — Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — for inciting violence against Palestinian communities. UK sanctions on the two Israeli ministers were in their personal capacity.
Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, said in parliament Thursday that he is not ruling out EU sanctions against the ministers, but looked to the June 23 meeting for further discussions and wished to avoid making proposals that would not garner unanimous support.
On Friday, his spokesperson declined to comment further. The European Commission and the Swedish foreign ministry didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
While most EU countries have hardened their tone on Israel in recent weeks, the call for punitive measures faces resistance within the 27-member bloc.
French officials have argued sanctions would be counterproductive in the current context as France and Saudi Arabia rally support for Palestinian statehood, according to people familiar with the discussions. Hungary, a staunch ally of Israel, is also seeking to dampen the pressure within the bloc.
France, along with Italy, Belgium and others, instead favors reviewing an EU-Israel Association Agreement, according to people familiar. The agreement came into force in 2000 and seeks to facilitate business and political collaboration while binding both parties to respect human rights and democratic principles.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, with the two exchanging $47 billion of goods last year, according to the International Monetary Fund. A change in trade policy would have a palpable impact on the Jewish state’s economy, which is already under strain because of the war.
While there are differing viewpoints on the nature of potential measures, some of Israel’s most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, which has destroyed much of the strip and sparked a prolonged humanitarian crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have described the human suffering in Gaza as unacceptable.
Several nations, including Germany, are considering trade sanctions and curbs on arms sales.
With assistance from Andrea Palasciano, Patrick Van Oosterom, Charles Daly and Max Ramsay.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.