Skip to main content

Israel halts meetings as Belgium labels West Bank settlement products

The Belgian decision to label West Bank settlement products was made as Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll is visiting the country and ahead of a scheduled meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes.
NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll cancelled his meetings in Brussels scheduled for today with Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes and with Belgian parliamentarians. Explaining the cancellation, Roll tweeted, "The Belgian government's decision to label products from Judea and Samaria strengthens extremists, does not help promote peace in the region, and shows Belgium as not contributing to regional stability."

A statement by Israel’s Foreign Ministry read, "The decision to label products harms both Israelis and Palestinians and goes against the Israeli government's policy focused on improving the lives of Palestinians and strengthening the Palestinian Authority and with improving Israel's relations with other European countries." 

Roll and the Foreign Ministry were referring to reports about Belgium planning to label products of West Bank settlements as not made in Israel. Over the years, the issue of labeling settlement products has become a thorn in Israel’s relations with European Union member states. A French court ruled in 2018 against forcing West Bank wine producer Psagot to label its bottles as made in Israeli settlements. But a year later, the European Union’s court ruled in favor of requiring such labeling. Still, so far most European Union members have been slow to follow the guidelines.

Roll heard of the Belgian plan while on official visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, shortly after he visited the Jewish museum in Brussels that suffered a terrible terror attack in 2014. The Belgium move also came while Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced he was planning to visit the United Kingdom and France next week in an effort to deepen Israel’s diplomatic relations with those countries and with the European Union. Jerusalem now fears that Belgium might set a precedent for other European countries. 

Still, Jerusalem should not have been surprised. When the current Belgian government was established, some of the participating parties demanded a clear policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general and settlement products in particular. Since May, senior officials from the Belgian ministries of foreign affairs, finance and economy have been meeting to that end. The Belgian government also decided that any future agreement between Belgium and Israel will include a clause stipulating it is not valid in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Belgian decision may also reflect growing concerns in Europe over Israel expanding West Bank settlements. At a Joint Stakeout in the UN headquarters Nov. 8, European members of the UN Security Council Estonia, France and Ireland, joined by Norway and Albania, called upon the Israeli government to "halt settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, including E1 and Givat Hamatos and not to proceed with the tenders for the construction of more than 1,300 housing units and plans for construction of nearly 3,000 housing units in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory announced on 24 and 27 Oct. 2021." More so, the Belgian decision could reflect European concerns over the Palestinian issue being sidelined in contacts between Israeli diplomats and officials and their European counterparts.

 

 

 

Join hundreds of Middle East professionals with Al-Monitor PRO.

Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Try it for free and cancel anytime.

Already a Member? Sign in

Free

The Middle East's Best Newsletters

Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.
Delivered straight to your inbox.

Free

What's included:
Our Expertise

Free newsletters available:

  • The Takeaway & Week in Review
  • Middle East Minute (AM)
  • Daily Briefing (PM)
  • Business & Tech Briefing
  • Security Briefing
  • Gulf Briefing
  • Israel Briefing
  • Palestine Briefing
  • Turkey Briefing
  • Iraq Briefing
Expert

Premium Membership

Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region.

$25.00 / month
billed annually

Become Member Start with 1-week free trial
What's included:
Our Expertise AI-driven

Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics.

Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts.

Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs.

Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates.

All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Prioritize your target industries for weekly review:

  • Capital Markets & Private Equity
  • Venture Capital & Startups
  • Green Energy
  • Supply Chain
  • Sustainable Development
  • Leading Edge Technology
  • Oil & Gas
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Banking

We also offer team plans. Please send an email to pro.support@al-monitor.com and we'll onboard your team.

Already a Member? Sign in

Israel Briefing Israel Briefing

Israel Briefing

Top Israel stories in your inbox each week

Trend Reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (4th R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

From roads to routers: The future of China-Middle East connectivity

A general view shows the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. - On March 27, Saudi announced a deal with Japan's SoftBank to build the world's biggest solar plant. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

Regulations on Middle East renewable energy industry starting to take shape

Start your PRO membership today.

Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today.

Join Al-Monitor PRO Start with 1-week free trial