The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for 32 percent of Israel’s total trade in goods with the world in 2024.
More than 300 former EU and member state ambassadors, together with former senior European Union officials, called on Wednesday on the bloc to immediately suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, and to impose sanctions on members of the Israeli government.
This was stated in a joint letter which is addressed to EU institutions and 27 member states, according to the Irish news agency RTE. The former diplomats reportedly urged urgent action to halt Israel’s military offensive and to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
“We strongly urge the European Union to immediately impose targeted sanctions on the Israeli government and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” the letter said, also pressing 13 EU member states to recognize Palestine, in line with the 147 UN members that already have.
Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, former EU Ambassador, who spoke on behalf of the co-signatories, said, “We cannot stand idly by, watching Gaza reduced to rubble and its inhabitants to destitution and starvation.”
“The issue is whether the EU and like-minded nations are going to stand up for basic humanity and for the values that underpin the post-war international order,” he added.
EU Chief Proposes Sanctions on Ministers, Partial Suspension of Israel Trade Deal
Further, the signatories urged emergency meetings of the UN General Assembly and Security Council to adopt sanctions against Israel. They also called upon Washington to reverse restrictions on Palestinian and UN representatives.
The letter coincided with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address in Strasbourg.
Von der Leyen stated that she would propose sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank in addition to the suspension of the trade element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. She described the situation in Gaza as “unacceptable.”
“Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity – this must stop,” she said.
“What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world,”she added, denouncing Israel’s “man-made famine” and the “financial suffocation” of the Palestinian Authority as well as Israel’s plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for 32 percent of Israel’s total trade in goods with the world in 2024, according to its website. The total trade in goods between the EU and Israel in 2024 amounted to €42.6 billion.
EU funding aimed at fostering bilateral relations with Israel will be suspended after 2027, a Commission spokesperson later confirmed. About €14 million ($16.4 million) in ongoing projects, including institutional cooperation programs, will be put on hold immediately.
(PC, AA)
