"Spain and its allies wanted to impose sanctions on Smotrich and Ben Gvir. But there was no majority for it"
A senior European diplomat reveals that EU countries proposed taking steps against the ministers, but encountered opposition and therefore focused on "violent settlers." According to him, "If you enter a Palestinian village, steal livestock and…
Assessment
A European diplomatic push to sanction Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir failed to secure majority support in the EU, revealing internal divisions over how to address Israeli government policy. Instead, the bloc is focusing sanctions on violent settlers, a narrower target that avoids direct confrontation with the Israeli government. The episode underscores the gap between European rhetoric and actionable consensus, and signals that future sanctions will remain limited to individual actors rather than official state figures.