EU fails to reach agreement on sanctioning Israel's Ben Gvir despite member state pressure
Published on 15/06/2026 - 19:27 GMT+2•Updated 19:29 The European Union has been unable to reach...
Published on 15/06/2026 - 19:27 GMT+2•Updated 19:29
The European Union has been unable to reach unanimous agreement on imposing sanctions against Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the bloc's top diplomat confirmed on Monday, even as a growing number of member states push for punitive measures against the far-right politician.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, made the announcement following a gathering of the bloc's 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
"Many member states have also proposed to sanction Minister Ben Gvir, but no consensus on that was reached today," she said.
EU sanctions require the unanimous backing of all member states, and a core of staunch Israeli allies within the bloc effectively blocked the move from going forward.
Calls to place Ben Gvir on an EU blacklist intensified last month after he posted a video appearing to mock pro-Palestinian activists who had been detained by Israeli forces aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. France responded by banning Ben Gvir from French territory and urged EU partners to follow suit with bloc-wide measures.
Settlement trade restrictions also under review
Separately, Kallas confirmed that the European Commission will be asked to draw up options for possible trade restrictions with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank — another issue raised by a number of member states.
"On the issue of trade with illegal settlements, many member states called for proposals from the European Commission," Kallas said, adding that she would request "a list of options for possible trade measures" in time for the next EU foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for July.
Israel has maintained a military presence in the West Bank since 1967, with successive governments overseeing a steady expansion of settlements in the territory. That expansion has accelerated markedly under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current coalition. Excluding east Jerusalem, more than half a million Israeli citizens now reside in West Bank settlements — communities considered illegal under international law — alongside a Palestinian population of roughly three million.
