Needed: Additional Measures Toward Israel
In recent developments, the EU-Israel Association Agreement has come under significant scrutiny, with calls for suspension mounting in response to Israel's actions in Gaza under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Germany, traditionally a close ally of Israel, has taken a slightly different stance. Friedrich Merz, a prominent figure in the Union, has been advocating for a course change towards Israel, a move that sets him apart from many of his colleagues. However, this shift has not been without resistance. During the traffic light period, Merz attempted to prevent any small attempts at a course change with great vigor.
The federal government's response to Netanyahu's Gaza occupation plans has been a restriction on arms exports to Israel. This move, while symbolic, reflects a growing discontent with Israel's actions. Yet, the majority of weapons imported and used in the Gaza Strip still come from the USA, with former President Trump not foreseeing a change of course.
The website, an independent, left-wing, and opinionated daily newspaper, has been arguing various opinions since its foundation in 1979, often presenting contradictory positions within a broad left-wing spectrum. Recently, it has been vocal about the need for Germany to take steps to rein in Netanyahu and end its complicity in the situation in Gaza.
The black-red coalition, the current ruling coalition in Germany, is facing pressure to support an end to the EU association agreement with Israel. Some have even suggested sanctions against Netanyahu as a possibility. However, the full suspension of the Association Agreement remains politically and legally complex, with the EU Council having failed to reach consensus on sanctions or broader suspension.
110 former Members of the European Parliament have signed a letter urging the European Commission and EU High Representative to fully suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing Israel's blockade and actions in Gaza as a war crime and violation of fundamental human rights protected under the Agreement's Article 2. The European Commission proposed a partial suspension of Israel's participation in the EU's Horizon Europe research funding programme as a first concrete measure.
State repression, such as police violence against pro-Palestinian demonstrators, must end in Germany. The need for a more active and critical stance towards Israel's actions is becoming increasingly apparent, and Germany, as a key player in the EU, has a significant role to play in shaping the future of the EU-Israel relationship.
[1] Source for the letter: [Link to the source] [2] Source for the EU Council's failure to reach consensus: [Link to the source] [3] Source for calls for an arms embargo: [Link to the source] [4] Source for the European Commission's proposal: [Link to the source] [5] Source for the Horizon Europe funding restrictions: [Link to the source]
- The recent call for suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement by 110 former Members of the European Parliament highlights the growing concern about Israel's war-and-conflicts in Gaza, which they deem a violation of fundamental human rights protected under the Agreement's Article 2.
- Amidst the war-and-conflicts in Gaza, politics in Germany have become increasingly focused on policy-and-legislation pertaining to Israel, with some advocating for sanctions against Netanyahu and others urging the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
- As the EU Council has failed to reach consensus on sanctions or broader suspension of the Association Agreement, general-news outlets and crime-and-justice magazines are following thedevelopment closely, debating the need for Germany to take a stronger stance on Israel's actions in Gaza.
