The campaign states that Israel “is responsible for an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians, a large-scale displacement of population and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza.”
A coalition of left parties has launched a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) demanding the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing Israel’s violations of human rights in Gaza.
“EU citizens cannot tolerate that the EU maintains an agreement that contributes to legitimize and finance a State that commits crimes against humanity and war crimes,” the campaign launched on Tuesday states.
The EU must act against Israel’s genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine! Left-wing parties in the EU are collecting signatures to cancel the EU-Israel association agreement
With on million names the EU Commission must take action
You can sign here👇https://t.co/LDQ2Yt03LR pic.twitter.com/VS24XYGozR— Jonas Sjöstedt (@jsjostedt) January 14, 2026
The initiative urges the European Commission “to put forward the proposal to the Council for the full suspension” of the agreement with Israel, which provides a framework for bilateral political dialogue and trade relations between the EU and Israel.
Israel ‘in Breach’ of International Law
The coalition noted in a statement that according to the European Commission, Israel “is responsible for an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians, a large-scale displacement of population and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza.”
The parties also point out that Israel has implemented a blockade of humanitarian aid “that could amount to starvation as a method of war.”
“Demand the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in view of Israel’s violations of human rights” .
Please check this European Citizens’ Initiative and consider signing! Only possible for Europeans. Takes 1 minute (uses ID card number). https://t.co/lLS2PBVyE9 pic.twitter.com/CTPOBOiDMy— Scientists for Palestine (@Sci4Pal) January 13, 2026
“Israel is in breach of multiple rules and obligations under international law and fails to prevent the crime of genocide as ordered by the International Court of Justice,” the statement added.
It also stated that the EU’s obligation to act does not stem only from its founding treaties but also from UN treaties and customary international law and the International Court of Justice Orders.
“The EU must immediately utilise all available legal, diplomatic and economic means – among which the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement – to force the Israeli government to cease its human rights violations, uphold international law and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians,” it noted.
One Million Signatures Required
For a European citizens’ initiative to be valid and considered by the EU, the statement noted, it must obtain at least one million valid signatures and meet the minimum thresholds in at least seven countries. By Friday afternoon, it had reached 198,488 signatures.
🇵🇸 On a besoin de vous !
Nous lançons aujourd’hui notre initiative citoyenne européenne pour suspendre l’accord d’association UE-Israël.
Finissons-en avec la complicité de l’Europe dans le génocide à Gaza.
👉 Objectif : 1 million de signatures ! https://t.co/jvr8cGAfp8 pic.twitter.com/S6WCKVTC7k
— Emma Fourreau (@emma_frr) January 13, 2026
The initiative is reportedly led by France’s La France Insoumise, Spain’s Podemos, Portugal’s Bloco de Esquerda, and Nordic left parties.
French MEP Emma Fourreau announced the launch of the initiative on X, saying, “Let’s end Europe’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza.”
Biggest Trading Partners
The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner, with more than 33 percent of Israel’s imports originating from the EU, and 28.8 percent of Israeli exports flowing to the EU, according to the campaign’s website. It said total trade in goods between the EU and Israel in 2024 amounted to €42.6 billion.
The EU-Israel partnership extends beyond trade to include scientific and technological cooperation, with Israel having joined Horizon Europe, the EU’s main funding programme for research and innovation, in 2021.
US Donors Fund Pro-Israel Lobby Driving European Policy – Report
The website also lists several international institutions having given evidence that Israel is in breach of Article 2 of the agreement, which provides that,
“Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.”
Partial Suspension
In September last year, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed “a package of measures” against Israel over its ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza, including the sanctioning of extremist ministers and a partial suspension of its trade agreement.
However, the proposal was not fully implemented because they reportedly required “unanimous approval” from EU countries.
Netherlands Pushes Ahead to Ban Imports from Illegal Israeli Jewish Settlements – Report
It notes that “1.11 billion euros from the EU’s Horizon Europe fund goes to Israeli companies, universities and public bodies,” emphasizing that among the 921 projects with 231 Israeli recipients” are companies that are closely involved with the Israeli military.”
The EU has been criticized for its refusal to suspend a trade agreement with Israel despite an internal review’s findings that Israel is violating human rights obligations under the terms of the Association Agreement.
End ‘European Complicity’
In a statement to Al-Jazeera Arabic, Trine Pertou Mach, the campaign’s representative in Denmark and a member of the Danish Parliament from the Unity List party, said the objective is to end the “European complicity” in the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people.
Europeans are ahead of their governments and EU institutions.
Public support for Israel has collapsed, opposition to the genocide is growing.
It’s not too late to reclaim power & stand up for justice.
May millions of EU citizens will sign this initiative:https://t.co/z5xEqMv5HZ— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 14, 2026
Mach reportedly emphasized that “Palestinian lives are no less valuable than any other human life,” and that “continuing with an agreement that legitimizes a state committing war crimes is something European citizens will not tolerate.”
Israel has killed close to 71,500 Palestinians and injured more than 171,000 others since it launched its genocidal military operation in Gaza over two years ago. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire implemented last October, Israel has killed 463 Palestinians and injured 1,269 more, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
(PC, AJA, Anadolu)
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