Flags of the European Union and Belgium
The Belgian federal government has approved a ban on the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Although the European Union (EU) has not yet reached a coordinated decision on this issue, Belgium has joined the list of several European countries that are taking such steps individually.
The decision was approved at the government’s last cabinet meeting before the summer break, Belgian news agency Belga reported on Saturday.
The move was taken as part of implementing a government pledge made last year after Israel’s massive bombardment of Gaza and the heavy loss of life.
Earlier this week, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevost called for such sanctions across the EU at a closed-door meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, accusing the European Commission of simply giving ministers “a bone to chew on” without providing any actionable plan.