Spain and Ireland lobbied for reopening the issue of suspending the E.U.-Israel Association Agreement at a European Union foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday in Brussels. Germany and Italy rejected the agreement.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the proposal was “inappropriate,” AFP reported. “We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues,” he said. “That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also said that “no decision will be taken today.”
Germany and Italy’s agreement were described as “key” to any suspension in May of last year when the Netherlands first demanded a review of the E.U.-Israel agreement, which governs political and economic ties. The Dutch made the proposal in protest over the situation in Gaza.
E.U. foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said proposals for a partial suspension remain on the table but require more countries to join. She told reporters after the Tuesday meeting, “We didn’t see that today, but these discussions will continue.”
The foreign ministers meeting, where top diplomats of the 27 E.U. states gather, is the first of its kind since Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was ousted in his country’s general elections.
Orbán’s government had shielded Israel from sanctions and other anti-Israel initiatives by the E.U. that would have required a consensus. His elected successor, Péter Magyar, has promised to align with the E.U. He said he would look at E.U. initiatives on a case-by-case basis rather than offering Israel blanket protection as had Orbán.
Another change that may bode ill for Israel’s support in Europe is Italy’s announcement on April 14 that it would suspend a defense cooperation deal with Israel. The immediate cause was Israel’s firing of warning shots at Italian troops serving in Lebanon.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry downplayed the announcement, saying, “We have no security agreement with Italy. We have a memorandum of understanding from many years ago that has never contained any substantive content. This will not affect Israel’s security.”
