EU Settlement Trade Ban Gets Most Support, Decision Deferred

European Union foreign ministers gave their strongest backing to a full ban on trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, but they reached no final decision. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ambassadors were instructed to continue the work and ministers could reconvene for an extraordinary meeting. Germany and the Czech Republic remained cautious, while Germany argued the measure concerns foreign policy and therefore requires unanimous approval from all 27 states. Kallas cited the Council legal service’s view that a trade measure could pass by qualified majority.