New dispute over handling of Israel after EU analysis
Brussels – The handling of Israel is once again causing fierce disputes within the European Union. The trigger is an internal report from the Foreign Service led by EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. According to it, Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip violate established principles for close cooperation with the EU. Member states like Spain are now demanding immediate consequences, such as suspending the partnership agreement between the EU and Israel that has been in effect since 2000. However, Germany and others reject this.
EU chief diplomat Kallas announced that she would contact Israel and share the report’s findings. The situation on the ground must improve for the people, she said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday in Brussels. A main concern is the distribution of humanitarian aid. If the situation does not improve, further measures must be discussed.
The German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had previously warned that Israel is a democratic rule of law in the Middle East, with which good relations should be maintained. “We need this association agreement and should not question it in any way.”
Divergent Lines in the EU
However, it is unlikely that the German position will prevail. For instance, the Irish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris demanded that the EU Commission must now propose concrete measures and sanctions to exert pressure and change Israel’s behavior. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also called on the Commission to present various options for further action.
It is conceivable, for example, that customs reliefs could be revoked by majority decision and Israel’s access to the EU research funding program Horizon could be blocked. A suspension of the entire partnership agreement would require unanimity among the EU states, which is unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future due to the positions of Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia.
“It’s only normal that we suspend” – Spain’s clear words
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares nevertheless called for this step. “If the association agreement is based on human rights, it is only normal that we immediately suspend this association agreement today,” he said in Brussels. He also called for an embargo on arms sales to Israel. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed support for drawing consequences at the next Foreign Ministers’ Council, scheduled for July 15.
EU Report Addresses Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
The report prepared under Kallas’ leadership stems from a decision by the EU foreign ministers in May. They had commissioned a review to determine whether Israel still adheres to the fundamental principles of the agreement, including respect for human rights. The report now assesses Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as a violation, particularly due to the massive restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid. Israel justifies this by citing Hamas’s influence on distribution.
The report’s findings have been anticipated for several weeks. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already stated at the end of May that the escalation and disproportionate use of violence against civilians in the Gaza Strip cannot be justified under humanitarian and international law. The expansion of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, which target civilian infrastructure, is abhorrent. (June 23)
