Latest news with #EUIsrael
Russia Today
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU to propose sanctions on Israel
The European Union is preparing to roll out a list of possible sanctions against Israel due to concerns of human rights violations during the fighting in Gaza, Euractiv reported on Saturday, citing sources. The EU's diplomatic service is expected to present a list of options to EU ambassadors on Wednesday. Among the options are reportedly a partial or full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctions on Israeli government ministers, military officials and extremist settlers, trade restrictions, an arms embargo, and the suspension of scientific cooperation. While most of these measures have been discussed informally in the past, this is the first time they will be laid out formally in writing, Euractiv reported. EU foreign ministers are said to be scheduled to review the proposals on July 15. Any move to impose sanctions on Israel would require the unanimous support of all 27 EU member states, which is widely seen as unlikely. Hungary, for instance, has been a consistent backer of the Jewish state, blocking EU sanctions on Israeli settlers last year. According to Euractiv, the document follows an internal EU review of the Association Agreement last month, which found 'indications of a breach' of Israel's human rights commitments. Israel has strongly rejected the review. Its Foreign Ministry said it 'should not be taken seriously' while arguing that the country was 'engaged in an existential struggle by defending against the shared enemies of the West.' In late June, the European Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while sounding the alarm about 'the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation.' The Council also urged Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to flow in. Although Israel claimed to have done so, numerous media outlets reported little real change on the ground. There are currently no EU sanctions imposed on Israel. However, the EU has in the past sanctioned certain Israeli individuals and organizations, mainly those it described as 'extremist' settlers in the West Bank who were allegedly involved in violence against Palestinian residents. After Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel in 2023, the latter retaliated with a military operation in Gaza, which led to unprecedented destruction. Around 60,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis were killed in the fighting, according to official figures.
Russia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state calls for sanctions on Israelis
Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, has said Spain will call on EU foreign ministers to 'immediately suspend' the EU‑Israel association agreement and seek a ban on arms sales to Israel, citing concerns of human rights violations in Gaza. The trade relationship between the 27‑member bloc and Israel, worth €68 billion ($73 billion), is set up under an agreement signed in 1995. The EU is Israel's largest commercial partner, accounting for roughly one-third of its international trade. Speaking to reporters ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting with in Brussels on Monday, Albares called for the immediate suspension of the agreement, saying 'this is the time for action' and that continued violations of human rights in Gaza demanded a firm European response. 'If the Association Agreement is based on human rights, it's the most normal thing that we suspend the Association Agreement immediately today,' he stated. The minister said he would formally request the suspension of the deal, 'an embargo on selling weapons to Israel, and the list of people that are being sanctioned to everyone who wants to be a spoiler of the two-state solution.' Spain's demands reflect broader unease across Europe. The UK, France, and the Netherlands have also considered slapping trade and arms restrictions on Israel in recent months. In May, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said there was 'a strong majority' among member states in favor of reviewing the agreement. The pivot from one of the Jewish state's staunchest supporters comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and growing frustration in Brussels over Israel's actions. According to a leaked document from the EU foreign policy service seen by The Guardian ahead of the Monday meeting, Brussels has found 'indications' that Israel is breaching its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement. The internal paper, prepared for EU foreign ministers, references assessments from the International Court of Justice, the UN human rights office, and other UN bodies. It notes that the findings do not represent 'a value judgment' by EU officials. The review was reportedly requested last month by 17 member states led by the Netherlands amid mounting concern over Israel's actions in Gaza. EU officials were asked to assess whether Israel's conduct aligns with 'respect for human rights and democratic principles.' The move followed Israel's blockade and military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that left 1,200 people dead and resulted in the abduction of over 200 hostages. Since then, more than 55,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, according to the enclave's health ministry. Israel has also faced longstanding accusations of war crimes for obstructing humanitarian aid, including a total blockade imposed after the October attacks and ongoing restrictions on food, fuel, and medicine entering the enclave.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EU foreign ministers meet to discuss Ukraine, Russia and worsening crisis in Middle East
Update: Date: 2025-06-23T07:22:47.000Z Title: Spain calls for suspending EU-Israel association agreement Content: Spain's Albares also called for an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement, saying 'the times of words and declarations is behind' and adding that 'Palestinians in Gaza have no more time to lose.' 'If the association agreement is based on human rights, it's the most normal thing that we suspend immediately today that association agreement and that we move forward. That's why I will ask for the suspension of the association agreement, an embargo of selling weapons to Israel, and enlarging the list of people that are being sanctioned to everyone that wants to be a spoiler of the two-state solution.' The Spanish minister added that Europe 'must show courage in favour of peace, of international law' and defend the values it is meant to stand up for. Update: Date: 2025-06-23T07:22:41.000Z Title: Spain reaches agreement with Nato on 5% defence spending, minister says Content: Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares is among the first to arrive at the foreign affairs council in Brussels. He says that over the weekend, Spain has reached an agreement with Nato on the proposed 5% defence spending commitment to be adopted at this week's summit, after prime minister Pedro Sánchez harshly criticised it as 'unreasonable' and 'unproductive'. By the sound of it, the fix relies on changing the wording to make it sound like Spain agrees with the ambition, but is not bound by it. Albares said Spain remained 'fully committed' on 'unity and the European and Euro-Atlantic security,' with 'a historic number of Spanish soldiers on the eastern flank' of Nato. But, he said, 'we think that the debate must not be around percentage, but capabilities,' and that Spain can meet its obligations spending less, around 2.1%. Update: Date: 2025-06-23T07:20:04.000Z Title: Morning opening: What's Europe position? Content: EU foreign ministers are meeting this morning in Brussels to talk about the bloc's position on Ukraine and Russia and the worsening crisis in the Middle East. The foreign affairs council kicks off what some dubbed a 'super week' in European – and not only – politics, with the Nato summit in The Hague and the European Council summit later this week. And there's plenty to talk about. Today's meeting starts with Ukraine, after another night of heavy Russian attacks with 352 drones and 16 missiles reported by the country's air force, mostly targeting Kyiv. At least six were killed, and over a dozen were injured. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 'preliminary reports indicate that ballistic weapons from North Korea were also used.' 'Everyone in countries neighbouring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives if this coalition of murderers persists and continues spreading their terror,' he warned. Zelenskyy will be in Britain today for further talks on 'new and powerful steps to increase pressure on Russia for this war and to put an end to the strikes.' The EU ministers will then turn to the Middle East, likely calling for a return to negotiations and the need to avoid further escalation. A big discussion is also expected on potentially triggering a review of the EU-Israel association agreement, but will they want to do this amid escalating and uncertain situation in the region? Elsewhere, I will be checking on the latest in the buildup to the Nato summit, and other updates from Germany, Norway, Sweden and Romania among others. It's Monday, 23 June 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EU cites ‘indications' Israel is breaching human rights obligations over conduct in Gaza
The EU has said 'there are indications' that Israel is in breach of human rights obligations over its conduct in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for immediate sanctions. 'There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement,' states a leaked document from the EU's foreign policy service, seen by the Guardian. Couched in the typically cautious language of Brussels, the document nevertheless represents a significant moment in Europe's relations towards a longstanding ally. The closely guarded paper, which will be presented by the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, to European foreign ministers on Monday, cites assessments by the international court of justice, the office of the high commissioner for human rights, and numerous other UN bodies, while saying that it does not represent 'a value judgment' by any EU official. The finding has been seen as a foregone conclusion since a review of the EU-Israel agreement was put on the agenda last month by 17 EU member states, led by the Netherlands, a traditional ally of Israel. EU officials were tasked to see whether Israel's internal and international relations were based on 'respect for human rights and democratic principles' against the backdrop of near-daily fatal shootings of Palestinian civilians seeking food. The review was triggered by Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, amid widespread horror over the ongoing bombardment that has laid the territory waste and killed more than 55,600 people – mostly civilians – since 7 October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry. The EU discussion is complicated by Israel's airstrikes on Iran, which may restrain some governments from putting pressure on Israel. Soon after Israel began waging war against Iran, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, 'reiterated Israel's right to defend itself'. She has previously faced criticism for not speaking up over the humanitarian consequences for Palestinians of Israel's onslaught. The EU-Israel association agreement, signed in 1995, underpins a trade relationship worth €68bn (£58bn) between 27 European countries and the Middle Eastern country. The EU is Israel's largest market and accounts for about one-third of its trade. Israel is also a member of the EU's Horizon research funding programme, and has secured grants worth €831m since the current programme began in 2021. The document emerged after more than 100 campaign groups urged the commission this week to suspend the association agreement. 'A weak or inconclusive review of Israel's compliance with article 2, and/or failure by the commission and council to suspend at least part of the association agreement, would ultimately destroy what's left of the EU's credibility [and] further embolden Israel authorities to continue their atrocity crimes,' reads the statement, signed by 113 civil society groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Eve Geddie, the head of Amnesty International's EU office, said the decision to launch a review had come 'tragically, devastatingly late' and that while it was important, as time passed Israeli forces had become 'more and more emboldened'. Separately, eight EU member states have written to Kallas urging her to look into discontinuing trade of goods and services from the occupied Palestinian territory. The letter, organised by Belgium, states the EU is obliged to respond to an opinion from the international court of justice last July ordering Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories as soon as possible. In a landmark – albeit non-binding –ruling, the court said other states were under an obligation not to recognise the occupation as lawful. 'We have not seen a proposal on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,' states the letter, calling for the EU to set out a timeline for reaching 'full compliance' with the advisory opinion around its first anniversary. EU policy on Israel has been hobbled by difficulties finding unanimity among 27 member states with starkly different views, from countries that have recognised Palestine, including Spain and Ireland, to staunch allies of the Israeli president, Benjamin Netanyahu, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. The tide turned last month when the Netherlands, a strong ally of Israel, launched a call to review the EU-Israel association agreement, following the largest protests on Dutch streets over a foreign policy question in decades. The Dutch foreign minister, Casper Veldkamp, a former ambassador to Israel, argued that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was a breach of international law and therefore the association agreement. An unexpectedly large number of countries agreed, although the question was not put to a vote. The EU is far from united over what to do next. A full suspension of the agreement, which requires unanimity, is seen as impossible, given the certainty of a veto from Hungary, the Czech Republic or Germany. The EU only needs a weighted majority to suspend favourable trade terms or Israel's participation in Horizon, but even those outcomes are highly uncertain. Hildegard Bentele, a German centre-right MEP who chairs the European parliament's Israel delegation, criticised moves to question the agreement. 'This will not have any influence on the Israeli government. I am very sure about it. This will put us in a less influential position,' she said in an interview earlier this month. Kallas's predecessor Josep Borrell, however, has criticised Europe for shirking its moral responsibilities over Gaza. In a typically outspoken speech, he argued the EU should use the association agreement as a lever to demand that humanitarian law is respected. In a further illustration of the EU's foreign policy knots, Hungary is blocking EU sanctions against Hamas and violent Israeli settlers. Kallas earlier this week voiced frustration at critics that have accused the EU of silence and inaction, citing the need to find consensus. 'Sanctions need unanimity. And again I'm representing 27 [countries].' She argued that presenting sanctions that would inevitably fail was pointless: 'I feel better myself that I've done something, but actually I know that this will not go through … and then it will just show that we don't have a common position.'
Al Arabiya
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
EU to review cooperation deal with Israel over alleged Gaza abuses
The European Union on Tuesday agreed to review its cooperation deal with Israel over alleged human rights abuses in Gaza, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. Kallas said Brussels was acting after 'a strong majority' of its 27 member states backed the move, in a meeting of EU foreign ministers, in a bid to pressure Israel. 'What it tells is that the countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable, and what we want is to really help the people, and what we want is to unblock the humanitarian aid so that it will reach the people,' Kallas told journalists. Momentum to re-examine the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which forms the basis for trade ties between the two sides, has grown since Israel restarted its offensive in Gaza after a ceasefire expired. Kallas said the aid trucks Israel allowed into Gaza on Tuesday was a 'drop in the ocean' compared to suffering faced by the people inside the strip. Israel said that 93 aid trucks entered the territory on Tuesday. The Netherlands spearheaded the latest push over a year after two staunch backers of the Palestinian cause, Spain and Ireland, failed to convince the bloc to suspend the accord. Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for review at the Brussels meeting under Article two of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights. Belgium's foreign minister Maxime Prevot said he had 'no doubt' about the violation of rights in Gaza, and the review could lead to the suspension of the entire deal. The EU has struggled to have an impact on the conflict as there are long-standing divisions within the bloc between countries who back Israel and those considered more pro-Palestinian. In a sign of the splits, in a separate move, Hungary blocked imposing more sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
