The diplomatic push was initially spearheaded by the Netherlands – usually a staunch backer of Israel and one of the eleven EU states not to recognise Palestine – marking a major shift in the bloc’s policy towards Israel.
It remains, however, unlikely that an actual suspension, which would require unanimity, can be achieved any time soon due to deep divisions among member states.
In force since 2000, the EU–Israel Association Agreement regulates political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two sides, but has come under criticism in light of Israel’s war in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis.
The bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, confirmed after Tuesday’s talks that Brussels was acting following “a strong majority”.
“What it tells is that the countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable. 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 reporters in Brussels.
EU diplomats said that 17 member states have backed the initiative, including Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia also backed the review, while the rest voted against, and Latvia abstained, according to the same diplomats.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldencamp last week sent a letter, seen by Euractiv, rallying support among his counterparts to launch proceedings, arguing that Israel’s three-month-long blockage of humanitarian aid to Gaza constitutes a breach of obligations under international humanitarian law.
A timeline for the review has yet to be announced. It will be conducted by the EU’s diplomatic service (EEAS).
If the review finds that Israel has violated Article 2 of the agreement – which states that relations “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles” – the agreement could end up being suspended.
“The next step – once it’s established that a violation is manifest – is obviously the possibility of eventual suspension,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French national radio.
Any decision to ultimately suspend trade ties would require the involvement of the European Commission and unanimity among its 27 member states.
A similar request to fully suspend the agreement was made by Spain and Ireland last year, but did not garner wide support due to deep divisions within the bloc over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Resistance at the time came from strong Israeli allies within the EU, including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Separately, Sweden has said it wants to push a proposal for sanctions against individual Israeli ministers who support the government’s treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Another proposal on Tuesday to introduce further sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank failed to gain required unanimity over a veto by Hungary.
(aw)