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German SPD politician calls for allowing EU sanctions on Israel
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany /Elections & Politics

German SPD politician calls for allowing EU sanctions on Israel

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A German politician from the SPD party is urging the federal government to stop blocking EU sanctions against Israel over its settlement policy.
  • EU foreign ministers are set to discuss potential sanctions on Monday, with Germany previously opposing such measures.
  • Over 20 EU states reportedly support import bans on products from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Germany should clear the path for a unified European stance on sanctions against Israel, according to Adis Ahmetoviฤ‡, a foreign policy spokesperson for the SPD party. He stated that Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul should not lead Germany's opposition to sanctions, especially given "obvious violations of international law by Netanyahu and his government."

Ahmetoviฤ‡ emphasized that "law and rules" must guide German foreign policy. The call comes as EU foreign ministers gather in Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, including potential EU sanctions targeting Israel's continued settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Germany has historically opposed such sanctions. However, reports indicate that more than 20 EU member states are in favor of an import ban on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements. The current German government has previously blocked unified EU action on this issue.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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