Spain will formally propose suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement at Tuesday’s foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Sunday. Three member states back the move. Germany is expected to block it.
What Sanchez Said
At a rally in Andalusia on Sunday, Sanchez set out the case.
“A government that violates international law or EU principles cannot be its partner,” he said.
Sanchez called for an immediate end to the Middle East war. The conflict has driven a sharp rise in global oil prices and displaced people across the region, he said.
Within the EU, Sanchez ranks among the loudest critics of Israel. He has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of genocide in Gaza and labeled the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran a “huge mistake.”
Three Countries, One Letter
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of Spain, Ireland and Slovenia sent a joint letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. They accused Israel of violating the Association Agreement.
Two specific issues anchor the complaint. The Israeli parliament approved the death penalty for certain offenses. Settlers in the West Bank carried out violent actions. Both breach fundamental human rights, the ministers wrote.
Why It Probably Will Not Pass
Unanimous support from all 27 member states is required. Germany leads a bloc expected to oppose the suspension.
A similar effort collapsed in September. The European Commission proposed sanctioning specific Israeli ministers and suspending parts of the trade chapter. The European Council failed to deliver a majority.
Germany has consistently voted against tougher measures on Israel. Several central European nations have done the same.
The Bigger Picture
Trade, political dialogue and cooperation all run through the Association Agreement. Suspension would be the strongest signal Brussels has sent to Israel since the Gaza war began in October 2023, sharpened now by the Iran war’s devastation.
Even if Tuesday’s proposal fails, three member states pushing for it reflects a widening rift between Brussels and Jerusalem. The Iran war, in its 49th day, has fueled criticism of Israeli military operations across multiple fronts.
