Head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell proposes suspending EU-Israel political dialogue

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Decisions on foreign policy require the unanimity of the 27.

They agreed in May to request a meeting of the association council between Israel and the EU, to examine in particular the human rights situation in Gaza, but this meeting has still not taken place, due to lack of agreement on the agenda.

Relations with Israel deeply divide the 27. Some emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself, while others insist on the need to end the fighting and on the rights of the Palestinians to a state.

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Ireland and Spain thus decided in May to recognize a State of Palestine, while other European countries are more reluctant or consider that the moment is not appropriate.

On Thursday noon, the spokesperson for the Commission in charge of Foreign Affairs, Peter Stano, recalled that Josep Borrell had, last month, announced his intention to put a discussion on the Israeli operation in Gaza on the table of the 27 and on possible human rights violations in this context. “He will ask foreign ministers on Monday to consider further European action and examine whether Israel has violated human rights as protected in Article 2 of the Association Agreement.”