Former EU leaders urge sanctions over Israel's E1 settlement project

More than 500 former European Union prime ministers, diplomats and senior officials have called for sanctions on those involved in a new Israeli settlement construction project in the West Bank. In a statement published on Monday, they said the E1 project would cut the West Bank in two and make a two-state solution impossible. The appeal adds fresh pressure on the bloc as debate continues over how to respond to Israeli settlement expansion.

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The statement says Israel is expected to award contracts shortly for the first tranche of the E1 project. It singles out Germany and Italy as member states that have blocked tougher action at EU level, accusing them of becoming complicit in preventing a two-state solution. The signatories argue that the European Union has taken no action to deter E1 and has not met its obligations under its treaties to act against violations of international law.

The letter calls on the European Commission to bring forward legislation to sanction financial institutions and other service providers involved in E1 and other illegal settlements. It also urges the bloc to prevent all EU trade with Israeli settlements in general. In addition, the signatories want long-delayed proposals to suspend the trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to be implemented.

They have asked EU foreign ministers to consider the measures at their next meeting in Luxembourg on 12 October. The intervention matters because it comes from a large group of former senior figures who once helped shape EU foreign policy. Among the signatories are former French prime ministers Dominique de Villepin and Alain Juppé, former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven and former Italian prime minister Massimo D'Alema.

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Their statement reflects continuing frustration among some former officials over the EU's inability to agree a common line on Israeli settlement policy. The E1 area has long been politically sensitive because of its location in the West Bank and the implications that critics say it would have for territorial continuity. The signatories say the project would make a two-state outcome impossible, a view that has been central to international diplomacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for years.

The letter also says some EU member states have already adopted national measures against illegal settlements, while others continue to block EU-wide action. What happens next will depend on whether the European Commission and foreign ministers take up the call before or at the Luxembourg meeting. It is not clear whether there is enough support among member states for sanctions or trade measures, and the statement itself does not indicate any immediate policy change.

The project's timetable, and whether contracts are awarded as expected, will be closely watched in the coming days.

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