Jun 16, 5:18 AM
EU Fails to Blacklist Israel's Ben Gvir as Member States Block Unanimous Sanctions Push
Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed no consensus was reached. France had banned the far-right minister from its territory and urged EU partners to follow suit.
The European Union has been unable to reach a unanimous agreement on imposing sanctions against Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the bloc's top diplomat confirmed on Monday. The announcement came following a gathering of the 27 EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
"Many member states have also proposed to sanction Minister Ben Gvir, but no consensus on that was reached today," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief.
EU sanctions require the unanimous backing of all member states. A core group of staunch Israeli allies within the bloc effectively blocked the move from moving 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.
Kallas also confirmed that discussions on restricting trade with illegal West Bank settlements will continue ahead of July's ministerial meeting. That proposal, like the Ben Gvir sanctions, faces an uphill battle given the need for unanimity.
For now, Ben Gvir remains off the EU blacklist. France has acted alone. The ministers will try again in July. But the political reality is clear: the EU's 27 members cannot agree on how far to go in confronting a far-right Israeli minister who mocks detainees. And until they do, Ben Gvir can travel to most of Europe without restriction – just not to France.
Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com
