'Spain has firmly put it on the table,' Albares tells EU foreign ministers
MADRID – Spain is urging EU countries to vote on measures blocking trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a move to bypass national vetoes.
José Manuel Albares, the Spanish foreign minister, called on European governments to “position themselves” and demonstrate whether their foreign policy “complies with international law”.
“It is time to move to a vote and see if there is a qualified majority,” Albares said, regarding a potential ban on products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Spain has tabled a proposal for trade measures that can be agreed by a vote rather than the unanimity needed for foreign policy sanctions, Albares said, adding “it is up to the rest of the states to position themselves, as well as the High Representative Kaja Kallas”.
