Spain, Slovenia and Ireland are promoting this Tuesday, at the meeting of EU foreign ministers, a discussion on the possible , as confirmed by the head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, from Luxembourg. Europe, the minister stressed, must send a “strong signal” to Israel, a country that, despite repeated warnings, “has done nothing but” in the region. The open opposition of majors such as Germany or Italy, however, once again stops a forceful gesture.
“Spain, together with Slovenia and Ireland, has requested that the suspension of the association agreement between the European Union and Israel be debated on the basis of article 2”, regarding respect for human rights, Albares explained.
The minister added that a total suspension of the agreement would send a “strong signal” against the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, although he specified that other measures could also be considered or even a partial suspension of the commercial part of the agreement. France and Sweden, for their part, have proposed ahead of this Tuesday’s meeting that the EU restrict trade with the , a measure that they already apply individually and that is outside the scope of the Association Agreement, so its application at the EU level should be less complicated.
In any case, some type of gesture is required, Albares stressed: “I ask for one measure, just one. Since Israel has launched this permanent war against all its neighbors, there has not been a single response from the EU, which is why we are risking our credibility. We must send a strong message to the Government of Israel, telling it that the EU cannot maintain a relationship as if nothing were happening,” he told a group of journalists.
Otherwise, he has warned, if you do not act. “We have to tell Israel clearly that it must change course and that war cannot be the only way to relate to its Middle Eastern neighbors,” he insisted.
“As the EU we must defend our fundamental values and we have to be clear with the countries with which we associate that they must respect these fundamental values and laws,” agreed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, Helen McEntee, co-signatory of the letter sent to the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, requesting discussion on the Association Agreement.
Since last September, one has been “on the table,” a decision that would only require a qualified majority. To achieve it, at least 55% of the Member States – 15 of the 27 – would have to vote in favor and these would represent, at least, 65% of the total population of the EU, compared to the unanimity that requires the total suspension of the agreement. So far, even that minimal support has not been achieved. The hope was that Italy, one of the countries that can tip the balance due to its weight, would change sides, especially after the . But his Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, has curbed expectations.
“I don’t think that blocking a trade agreement is a useful tool, because in the end it ends up affecting the Israeli population in general, who often has nothing to do with the acts that the military commits and that are then blamed on the Government; therefore, we remain firmly against this,” he declared during a break in the discussions. As indicated, Rome maintains the Berlin line. The German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, had described the initiative as “inappropriate” upon his arrival, defending that Germany promotes a “critical and constructive dialogue” with Israel, just as Austria has done.
For Spain, Ireland and Slovenia, Israel’s actions since the ceasefire last fall, especially in recent weeks in which the Netanyahu Government has initiated one without respect for international law, has advanced one that kills Israelis – “You cannot be a member of the EU with the death penalty,” Albares recalled – and has allowed the continuation of violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, among others, merit a critical review of the situation. Even reluctant countries such as Germany or Italy have been very critical of some of these steps taken by Israel, although this does not seem to change their position.
“The question I am going to ask all EU countries is what more has to happen for the Union to react to the way in which and to the systematic violations of international law and human rights,” Albares challenged. In his opinion, what is at stake is the “credibility” of the community bloc. “It is time to send an unequivocal message: we cannot maintain a relationship like the current one through an Association Council if Israel maintains its policy,” he concluded.
“It is time to put the issue back on the table,” agreed the Belgian Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, for whom the latest events make “it is evident that serious attacks are taking place against the principles of rights and values of the European Union that govern this association agreement.”
In this sense, Prévot has supported a partial suspension of the agreement, a measure that, in view of the opposition of some countries, seems more feasible than the total suspension requested by Madrid, Dublin and Ljubljana.
“Belgium has been demanding for several months, at least, a partial suspension of the association agreement between Israel and the European Union, aware that a total suspension is probably out of reach, given the positions of each of the European countries. But we must be able to act to influence the debate,” the Belgian deputy prime minister also insisted.
Albares has indicated that the European Union has to be able to “speak with the same force, for the same principles, seeking the same objectives”, when talking about Iran, Ukraine or Sudan, also on the table this Tuesday in Luxembourg. Nobody expected concrete decisions from this appointment. Not even in terms of another forceful measure, the expansion of the , which only Hungary blocks, although with the change of government in this country, a change in this regard is expected. However, the Irish minister stressed, this meeting should come out with a commitment so that at the next meeting of ministers there is a proposal on some “clear actions.”
“We have to move together to have an impact (…) and we have to act,” McEntee emphasized.
