Veldkamp wants agreements with Israel to remain in place, no measures

The most important thing that Veldkamp wants to achieve at the meeting with the EU foreign ministers on Tuesday is that the list of measures does not get taken off the table, he said before the start of the meeting.

He did not say it out loud, but from everything Veldkamp said, it is clear that he thinks it is still too early to take measures against Israel. He does not want to mention a deadline by which it would be necessary to, for example, end trade benefits or exclude participation in programs like Horizon.

EU foreign chief Kaja Kallas reached a humanitarian agreement with Israel last Thursday. It includes agreements on, among other things, allowing trucks with aid supplies.

“It is important that these are now implemented and that we closely monitor this,” said Veldkamp. More trucks with aid supplies need to enter Gaza, and more border crossings need to be opened.

In case Israel does not ensure this, Kallas has drawn up a list of measures. This will be discussed for the first time on Tuesday. The EU member states are divided. A qualified majority is needed for many measures, which means that a proposal must be supported by 55 percent of the member states that together represent at least 65 percent of the EU population.

Veldkamp finds it important to maintain unity in the EU. “When you work with 27 countries, you can get things moving. That is what matters to me.”

(July 15, 2025)