SPANISH prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called on the EU to end its trade agreement with Israel amid growing global tensions over the conflict in the Middle East.
Sanchez said Spain would make a proposal to terminate the EU–Israel Association Agreement, which has been in force since 2000, at a meeting of EU ministers on Tuesday in Luxembourg.
The announcement, which Sanchez made during a rally of his socialist PSOE party in Huelva on Sunday, marks a further escalation of Spain’s criticism against Israel over the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
“A government that breaches international law, and as such breaches the EU’s principles and values, cannot be a partner of the EU. It is that simple,” Sanchez said. “So I call on all EU countries to support Spain’s proposal.”
Sanchez has been a vocal critic of Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, which he repeatedly denounced as a ‘genocide.’
When the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February, Sanchez branded the war ‘a big mistake,’ and denied US forces use of Spain’s military bases of Rota and Moron for attacks on Iran.
In March, Spain officially withdrew its ambassador to Tel Aviv, leaving only a chargé d’affaires to run the embassy.
Now, as Israel’s onslaught on Lebanon forces mass displacements across the region and the oil market faces increased volatility as a result of the war, Sanchez is doubling down on his stance – calling on allies to sever ties with Tel Aviv.
The association agreement removes most tariffs on industrial goods traded between the EU bloc and Israel, making it easier for both sides to buy and sell products.
Beyond trade, the agreement also supports cooperation in areas like science, technology, and energy, allowing Israel to take part in a slew of EU programmes – especially research projects.
But the deal also lists respect for human rights as an essential condition, and the foreign ministers of Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have argued the prerequisite has been breached.
In a letter they sent on Saturday to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, the ministers said that the Israeli parliament’s approval of the death penalty, along with violent actions by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, amounted to violations of fundamental human rights.
All 27 EU member states would need to back Spain’s proposal for the agreement to be rescinded, which experts say could prove difficult.
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