Ursula von der Leyen deplores EU's 'painful' inaction on Israeli settlements

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed regret over the EU's inability to address the worsening conditions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank during her annual State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. While acknowledging the suffering in Gaza and the unchecked violence by settlers in the West Bank, she refrained from proposing a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements due to the lack of a unified response from member states.

About a dozen EU nations have supported such a move, but opposition remains strong from Germany, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Spain was the first EU country to ban trade with Israeli settlements in September, citing an International Court of Justice advisory. Last week, France joined 11 western countries in proposing a national ban on trade with Israeli settlements, citing the EU's inaction.

A qualified majority vote from all 27 EU members is required to issue a proposal, which the EU Commission has yet to submit. European Middle East Project director Martin Konecny criticized von der Leyen for blaming member state divisions for the lack of EU action on Israel-Palestine when she herself has been a principal obstacle.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended von der Leyen's speech, where she also invited Canada to become the first associate member of the EU.