The European Union is preparing a package of sanctions against Israel if the government proceeds with its controversial plan to expand settlements in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, media reports have said, following growing calls from European countries to halt the project.
The Israeli government issued a tender on Aug. 19 for the construction of seven residential compounds comprising 1,234 housing units in E1, an area east of Jerusalem. Israeli settlement advocates have long sought to develop the site, arguing that it would strengthen Israel’s control over the area and prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state.
According to Israel’s Channel 13, which cited two Western diplomats, the EU has drawn up a preliminary list of possible measures should construction begin.
The proposed sanctions reportedly include labeling products from Israel, including those not originating in West Bank settlements, reducing academic cooperation with Israeli institutions, and suspending certain security and diplomatic ties between Brussels and Tel Aviv.
Such measures would mark a significant departure from the EU’s longstanding policy of distinguishing between Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
International opposition to the project has, meanwhile, intensified.
France, Italy, Britain and Germany all condemned the settlement plans in a statement on Aug. 20, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for the project to be halted and summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires.
Lammy said he had conveyed the message directly to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
Saar rejected the criticism, accusing Britain of adopting a one-sided approach toward Israel and warning that the U.K.’s stance could damage bilateral relations.
The British government has separately said it plans to introduce a broader package of measures in the coming weeks, including sanctions against individuals involved in what it described as illegal settlement expansion.
