The European Union decides to reconsider its partnership agreement with Israel due to the Gaza war
The European Union announced on Tuesday that it would review the partnership agreement that grants trade privileges to Israel.
This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas in a press statement following the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
Kallas explained that the proposal submitted by the Netherlands to reconsider the partnership agreement between the European Union and Israel received the support of the vast majority of member states.
“So we will start with that, and at the same time, Israel must lift the ban on humanitarian aid into Gaza,” she said.
Asked by a journalist when the review would conclude, Kallas said, “We’ve started this work, and at the same time, we are truly hopeful that the humanitarian aid embargo will be lifted and the situation will improve”.
It’s worth noting that the European Union is considered Israel’s largest trading partner.
The European Union-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, provides the legal framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two parties.
Article 2 of the agreement stipulates that the partnership is conditional on commitment to human rights and international law.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who submitted the proposal, said in a letter to Kallas that the blockade of Gaza violates international humanitarian law and therefore Article 2 of the Association Agreement regulating trade between the European Union and Israel.
