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Poland will not support sanctions on members of the Israeli government

by AI | 31.Aug 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced earlier that he would propose sanctions against individuals linked to attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell.

Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski expressed support for sanctions on Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. When asked whether Poland would support including Israeli ministers, as proposed by the EU’s foreign policy chief, he replied: “I doubt it.”

Bartoszewski took part in an informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

The ministers were to discuss, among other things, ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. When Bartoszewski spoke to journalists, the issue was not yet on the table.

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had previously announced that he would propose sanctions against those linked to attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. For the first time, the sanctions are to include members of the government. Borrell named two Israeli cabinet members: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, responsible for settlement policy, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. However, due to the informal nature of Thursday’s meeting in Brussels, ministers could only discuss the issue without making any decisions.

“Poland’s position on Gaza is clear: we should have a two-state solution,” Bartoszewski said. “We want the state of Israel and the state of Palestine, but not a state of Hamas terrorists. We will not agree to that,” he emphasized.

“We have no issues with sanctions on West Bank settlers who attack Palestinian settlements and kill people. Some of them have ongoing police and criminal proceedings in Israel. We’ll see how it goes,” he said.

When asked whether Poland would support including Israeli ministers in the sanctions, in line with the EU’s foreign policy chief’s proposal, the deputy foreign minister replied: “I doubt it.” “The Israeli government represents Israeli voters who have chosen such a government. All changes there should come through negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the state of Israel. However, illegal settlers in the West Bank can be subject to sanctions because they are there illegally, and if they attack Palestinians living there, they are criminals,” he stressed. (08.30.2024)