On Tuesday 21 April, when they arrived in Luxembourg, EU Member States’ foreign ministers once again showed their division over the suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel. On 18 April, in a letter, the Irish, Slovenian and Spanish ministers once again requested a discussion on this matter, calling for it to be suspended.
“Some Member States today (on Tuesday) proposed a full or partial suspension of the EU Association Agreement, as well as for restrictions on trade coming from settlements. And others were expressing their opposition to such proposals. Given that the suspension of the Association Agreement needs unanimity, there was not the necessary support for this in the room. And the measures that we have already on the table that require qualified majority will require States shifting their position. We did not see that today, but these discussions will continue”, explained the EU High Representative after the Council meeting.
Before the meeting, the Italian minister, Antonio Tajani, had predicted on his arrival that there would be no agreement. “No decision will be taken today, because the conditions, both numerical and political, have not been met”.
However, the Irish, Dutch, Spanish and Belgian ministers had called for measures to be taken. “What more will it take for the EU to take an interest in the way Israel conducts its relations with the other states of the Middle East? What more does the EU need to be concerned about Israel’s systematic violations of international law and human rights? It is therefore time to send out a strong signal: we cannot maintain the relationship we have had until now with an Association Council, if Israel does not change its policy”, stressed the Spanish minister, José Manuel Albares Bueno, citing the situation in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.
“Given, in particular, the flagrant violations of international and humanitarian law that occur on a daily basis, we do not intend to turn a blind eye to the fact that these acts are continuing”, explained the Slovenian minister, Tanja Fajon.
The Irish minister, Helen McEntee, hoped that the matter would lead to “concrete action at the next meeting”. “Our position in Ireland has been clear and consistent for many years: we must act together. We are convinced that the EU, united, has a greater impact”, she added, calling on her colleagues to support the suspension of the association agreement, or at least the trade part of the agreement.
“It is clear that we need to be able to step up the sanctions. For several months, Belgium has been calling for at least a partial suspension of the Association Agreement between Israel and the European Union, aware that total suspension is probably out of reach, given the positions of each of the European countries. But we need to be able to take action to influence the debate”, said Belgian minister, Maxime Prévot, adding that there were “clearly serious breaches of the principles of the European Union’s rights and values that govern this Association Agreement”.
The Dutch minister, Tom Berendsen, announced that he had been instructed to discuss with his counterparts how to increase the pressure on Israel and how, in the long term, to obtain a majority for the suspension of the trade part of the Association, which requires a qualified majority.
Conversely, the Italian minister, Antonio Tajani, felt that “blocking a trade agreement not seem (to him) to be an effective solution, because it would affect the Israeli population as a whole, which often has nothing to do with actions committed by the army or attributed to the government”.
According to his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, such a suspension would be “inappropriate”. He called for a critical and constructive dialogue with the Hebrew State. This position is shared by the Austrian State Secretary, Sepp Schellhorn, who favoured dialogue: “This has always been our strength. We are not advocating the suspension of relations, but rather that dialogue and diplomacy be allowed to bear fruit”.
Asked about the EU’s policy of ‘double standards’, Ms Kallas got annoyed and recalled the EU’s support for the Palestinians. Wondering whether the suspension of the Association Agreement would halt the expansion of settlements on the West Bank, she said “that is probably not true either”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)