The European Union announces historic sanctions against Israel for the first time due to the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced for the first time a proposal for punitive measures against Israel due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
However, she acknowledged the difficulty of agreeing to these sanctions given the deep divisions among EU countries.
In her monthly State of the Union address, ahead of the second anniversary of the Gaza war, von der Leyen launched an unusually broad criticism of Israel, saying the scale of the military campaign had led to a man-made famine in the Palestinian territories.
To pressure the Israeli government to change course, the Commission proposed a package of measures, most notably the suspension of the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a move estimated to cost Israeli exporters approximately €227 million.
The proposal includes halting transfers from the European budget to bilateral cooperation programs, as well as imposing personal sanctions on Israeli ministers accused of incitement to hatred and on settlers who commit crimes in the West Bank.
There are countries that want to strengthen sanctions, support the Palestinian right to a state and a two-state solution, and want to see more serious measures.
On the other hand, there are countries that have close ties with Israel, including Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, and want to maintain their alliance with Israel.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for steps to end the war in Gaza and find a solution to the conflict (305 votes in favor, 151 against, 122 abstentions).
Hildegard Bentilla (Germany/EPP), Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the EU-Israel Relations Committee, emphasized that this isn’t the time to impose sanctions, specifically rejecting punitive trade measures.
She said that in light of the improved humanitarian situation, consideration should be given to conditional suspension or incentives for Israel, rather than direct sanctions.
On the other hand, Lynn Boylan, Chair of the European Union’s Committee on Relations with the Palestinians, said: “If we had taken action earlier, we would have sent a clear message and potentially saved thousands of lives”.
Since the outbreak of the war, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, France, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, and Andorra have joined these efforts.
