According to the European edition of the American website POLITICO EU, reported on July 13 local time, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot accused the European Commission of being 'insufficiently effective' in dealing with Israel's illegal settlements. At the same time, disagreements over how to address the issue of settlements are also leading to debates among EU countries.
On that day, foreign ministers from various EU countries gathered in Brussels to discuss a document drafted by the European Commission Chairwoman Von der Leyen and her governing body. According to information obtained by POLITICO EU, the document proposes various restrictions on trade with settlements in the West Bank, including the imposition of ‘prohibitive tariffs’ and the establishment of a licensing system.
But according to Preveau, this document does not meet Belgium’s requirements for proposing specific solutions, prohibiting or restricting related trade. He described the European Commission’s issuance of this document as merely throwing out a “chewing bone” to various member states, in order to avoid addressing the issues seriously.
Prave on his way to Brussels to attend the European Council of Ministers meeting said to reporters: "The European Commission has finally presented some options on two pages of paper. So my impression is that they have just thrown out a bone for everyone to chew, rather than actually trying to move things forward."
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prouv – Photo
Prevot further stated that in the Palestinian Israeli situation, these measures are 'far from enough' compared to the need for the EU to become a reliable geopolitical actor. He expressed regret about this, and added: 'It has to be said that the EU has not been able to do this for some time.'
According to reports, efforts to curb Israeli illegal settlements have become a focal issue of this foreign ministers’ meeting. Several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland, are attempting to secure a majority vote in favor of such measures, in order to force the European Commission to submit a formal proposal that can be voted on.
It is noteworthy that under the tense situation in the Middle East, the European Union leadership has been criticized repeatedly, including criticism from within the EU. The reason for this criticism is that the EU failed to condemn effectively Israel's military operations in the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which have caused widespread civilian casualties and destruction.
However, ironically, European Commission President Von der Leyen recently claimed that the contributions made by the EU in supporting the Palestinians exceed those of any other international entity.
"Today Russia" (RT) reported on July 4th that Feng Delian, during a press conference at Cork University in Ireland on July 3rd, was asked why the European Commission has been slow to act regarding the Gaza-West Bank issue. In response, she refuted such criticism and even bragged that the EU is "the world's largest aid provider to the Palestinian people", while claiming "no one has done more".
