Israel hit back at the UK for leading a twelve-country alliance that is restricting trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a grouping that showcases the growing closeness between Europe and Canada. Analysts said the measures against settlement building, illegal under international law, were more symbolic than tangible. But the curbs nevertheless marked the latest example of Western countries ā notably excluding the US ā banding together in sometimes informal groupings on issues ranging from support for Ukraine to trade.
That cooperation looks set to grow with Canadaās prime minister due to address the European Parliament next week. Recent events have even pushed the āfringeā notion of Canadian membership in the EU āinto mainstream conversation,ā a New Yorker writer noted.