Sanctioning settlers: EU pressure or political cover? | Bigger Than Five

As the European Union moves to sanction extremist Israeli settlers, Belgian MEP Marc Botenga says the measures are little more than cosmetic. Botenga argues Europe’s response is designed more to ease public outrage than to hold Israel accountable. “You can say we took some measures, but basically, structurally, you're still funding financing and arming the entire Israeli enterprise of colonisation.” In a fierce critique of EU foreign policy, Botenga accuses European leaders of double standards, hypocrisy and political submission to US interests, warning that the bloc’s global credibility has “collapsed” over Gaza. On this episode of Bigger Than Five we explore growing divisions inside Europe over Israeli sanctions, trade relations and whether public pressure can force meaningful action. According to Botenga “it’s about what kind of world we want to live in and whether war crimes should be accepted as normal.”