Germany and Italy have blocked a bid to suspend a European Union trade pact with Israel.<\/p>\n
Spain, Slovenia and Ireland had urged a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday to debate suspending the association agreement due to Israel\u2019s genocidal war on Gaza and violence in the Occupied West Bank. However, opponents said that the idea has been definitively shelved.<\/p>\n
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Supporters of the move insist that the bloc can no longer remain \u201con the sidelines\u201d as violence continues and conditions deteriorate in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, all of which have suffered from Israeli wars.<\/p>\n
However, the effort always appeared optimistic, with the EU clearly split on its approach to Israel.<\/p>\n
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal \u201cinappropriate,\u201d insisting that more talk is needed, despite the daily reports of violence committed by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to talk with Israel about the critical issues,\u201d Wadephul said at the start of the meeting. \u201cThat has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani joined him in the pushback, stating that \u201cno decision will be taken today\u201d. Following the meeting he told reporters that the bid had been shelved.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther possible initiatives will be discussed at the next ministerial meeting on May 11, and we will evaluate them,\u201d he said according to Italian news agency ANSA.<\/p>\n
Defeat<\/p>\n
Before the meeting, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had said he expected \u201cevery European country to uphold what the International Court of Justice and the UN say on human rights and the defence of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything different would be a defeat for the European Union,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
In a joint letter sent last week to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the three governments said Israel had taken a series of measures that \u201ccontravene human rights and violate international law and international humanitarian law\u201d, adding that it breached the 1995 agreement that outlines political, economic and trade relations between the EU and Israel.<\/p>\n
They said repeated appeals to Israel to reverse course had been ignored.\u00a0The ministers pointed to a proposed Israeli law that would impose the death penalty by hanging on Palestinians convicted in military courts, describing it as \u201ca grave violation of fundamental human rights\u201d and a further step in the \u201csystematic persecution, oppression, violence and discrimination\u201d faced by Palestinians.<\/p>\n
They also cited the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying conditions there were \u201cunbearable\u201d, with continuing violations of the ceasefire agreement and insufficient aid entering the territory.<\/p>\n
The letter warned that violence in the occupied West Bank was also intensifying, with settlers acting \u201cwith absolute impunity\u201d alongside ongoing Israeli military operations, causing civilian deaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe European Union can no longer remain on the sidelines,\u201d the ministers wrote, calling for \u201cbold and immediate action\u201d and saying all options should remain on the table.<\/p>\n
The three countries argued Israel was in breach of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which ties relations to respect for human rights.\u00a0An earlier EU review had already found Israel was failing to meet those obligations, they said, adding that the situation had deteriorated further since then.<\/p>\n
During a donor conference in Brussels, Kallas said the estimated cost of rebuilding Gaza had risen to $71bn.<\/p>\n
Ireland and Spain first pushed for a review of the agreement in 2024, but the effort failed to win enough backing from member states supportive of Israel. A later Dutch-led initiative succeeded in triggering an EU assessment, which concluded Israel had \u201clikely\u201d breached its obligations under the pact.<\/p>\n
Possible trade measures, including suspending parts of the relationship, were later discussed but not implemented after Israel pledged to significantly increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza.<\/p>\n
Occupied Territories Bill<\/p>\n