EU foreign ministers on Tuesday rejected a proposal to suspend part of the EU-Israel association agreement, even as the bloc remains divided over Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. The Jerusalem Post angle in this debate is clear: the political pressure is still rising, but the numbers were not there to move the proposal forward. The proposal had been pushed by Ireland, Spain and Slovenia, while Germany said the move was inappropriate and urged continued dialogue.
Split in the EU leaves the proposal stalled
The discussion took place after foreign ministers met on Tuesday, with Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, saying the partial suspension idea remains on the table but would need member states to change positions before it can take effect. She told reporters, “We didn’t see that today, but these discussions will continue. ”
Spain, Ireland and Slovenia had pressed for a reopening of the partial suspension effort, which was first proposed last autumn but never secured majority support. The three countries said the situation in Gaza was unbearable, pointing to continuous violations of the ceasefire, insufficient humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and escalating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The Jerusalem Post has tracked how Spain has pushed hardest among the three, with Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares saying relations cannot continue in the same way while Israel remains on what he called a permanent perpetual war.
Kallas rejected the argument that the EU’s approach amounts to a double standard. She also questioned whether suspending the association agreement would change events on the ground, asking whether such a move would stop the expansion of Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Separately, she said the EU would move to add new sanctions on Iranians involved in limiting free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with the bloc aiming to adopt those measures in May.
The Jerusalem Post and the pressure campaign around Article 2
Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, said there was a clear need to raise voices on sanctions, citing West Bank settler violence reaching unprecedented levels and the Israeli parliament’s vote for the death penalty. He said there are serious attacks on the principles and values of the EU that govern the agreement, referring to Article 2 of the pact.
Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian vice-chair of the European parliament who speaks for the Socialists on trade, said the EU was eroding its credibility as a human rights defender. She said failure by the European Commission and member states to act appropriately under international law, human rights, and their own values is making Europe complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Germany, however, said the proposal was not appropriate. Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister, said the bloc must talk with Israel about the critical issues through critical, constructive dialogue. That position remains a major obstacle, because revoking the agreement would require unanimous support from all 27 member states, while a partial suspension would still need a weighted majority of 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population.
What happens next
The immediate fight now shifts back to whether enough member states will change their positions to reopen the partial suspension question. For now, the bloc is split, the proposal is stalled, and the political pressure around the Jerusalem Post debate over Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank is likely to intensify ahead of the next round of EU discussions.
