‘High Cost for Israel’ – EU Proposes to Reimpose Duties on Israeli Goods

September 16, 2025 News
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. (Photo: European Union, via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Last week, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed “a package of measures” against Israel, including the sanctioning of extremist ministers and a partial suspension of its trade agreement.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has confirmed that the commission was “proposing to reimpose duties” on Israeli goods by suspending parts of the EU-Israel trade agreement, Euronews reported on Tuesday.

In an interview with the news platform, Kallas confirmed that trade between the EU and Israel was €42.6 billion in 2024, “and the preferential treatment is around 37% of that.”

“It is a significant amount, and when it comes to the preferential treatment, then 37% of that trade really has the preferential treatment,” Kallas stated. “So definitely this step will have a high cost for Israel.”

‘Package of Measures’

Last week, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed “a package of measures” against Israel, including the sanctioning of extremist ministers and a partial suspension of its trade agreement.

According to Euronews, the commission is scheduled to formally agree to the proposals on Wednesday.

A qualified majority of member states must support the measures, including one of the larger countries – Germany or Italy. However, both countries have thus far blocked all proposals at the EU level, the report stated.

EU Chief Proposes Sanctions on Ministers, Partial Suspension of Israel Trade Deal

Kallas said there have been “very intensive discussions in the Foreign Affairs Council” about the blockage at the EU level.

“My question to all counterparts, because it’s not only Germany, was that if you agree on the diagnosis that the situation is extremely grave, the situation is disastrous, and untenable, then the question is, what do we do about this?” Kallas stated. She explained that if these measures are not supported, then alternatives must be suggested.

Spain Summons Israel’s Top Diplomat

Meanwhile, Spain has intensified its pressure on Israel with the Spanish Foreign Ministry summoning Israel’s charge d’affaires on Tuesday, the Anadolu news agency reported.

This comes after the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saar, accused Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of being “antisemite.”

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares summoned Israeli Charge d’Affaires in Spain Dana Erlich to express his rejection of “unacceptable words and positions” of his Israeli counterpart, sources told public broadcaster RTVE.

Saar had called Sanchez an “antisemite” and “liar” on US social media company X on Monday.

“Sanchez and his Communist government are antisemites and enemies of the truth,” he wrote.

Saar’s statement came after Sanchez urged the exclusion of Israel from international sports competitions until its “barbarity ends.”

“Why was Russia expelled after the invasion of Ukraine and Israel is not expelled after the invasion of Gaza?” he said.

‘Utterly Reckless’ – UK Foreign Secretary

Also on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza “utterly reckless and appalling.”

“The new IDF assault on Gaza is utterly reckless and appalling. It will only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians & endanger the remaining hostages,” Cooper wrote on X.

She reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, unrestricted humanitarian aid and “a path to lasting peace.”

At least 18 people were killed and over 40 others injured on Tuesday when Israeli warplanes targeted several areas in Gaza City and the central part of the enclave, medical sources told Anadolu.

A UN inquiry released on Tuesday found that Israel’s war on Gaza is a genocide. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention,” said Navi Pillay, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Sweden Calls for Increased Pressure

Sweden on Tuesday called on its EU partners to increase pressure on Tel Aviv following the UN report.

“We are extremely worried about the situation in Gaza, and we need to put more pressure on the Israeli government,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said during a joint press conference with her German counterpart in Berlin.

When asked about the landmark report of the UN independent international commission, which concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces committed genocide in Gaza, Stenergard said these findings aligned with what various experts had earlier stated.

“We do not make any statements on whether it’s genocide or not until an international court has formally decided on it. But we do have an obligation to stop and prevent genocide from happening,” she told reporters.

“And that’s why Sweden is one of the biggest providers of humanitarian aid to Gaza. And that’s why we want to put more pressure on the Israeli government, for instance, by stopping the trade part of the EU association agreement or also putting sanctions on extremist ministers in the Israeli government,” Stenergard added.

Close to 65,000 Killed

Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.

Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of close to 65,000 Palestinians, with more than 164,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(PC, Anadolu)

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