Watch: Europe’s relationship with Israel is fracturing — how far will it go?

Published on 21/04/2026 - 10:33 GMT+2

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is connected a mission, and helium is not giving up.

On Tuesday erstwhile again helium volition formally suggest severing the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel. The connection has deed a partition aggregate times. Will it enactment this time?

Sanchez has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of mounting the Middle East connected occurrence and has doubled down connected his disapproval of the Iran warfare and the Israel-Hezbollah struggle successful Lebanon.

Established successful 2000, the EU-Israel Association Agreement is the bedrock of the economical and governmental narration betwixt the two.

For months, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia person demanded an urgent review. And the EU's ain interior reappraisal recovered Israel is successful breach of the agreement, citing sedate violations of planetary instrumentality successful Gaza and convulsive settler evictions successful the West Bank.

Now, a European Citizens’ Initiative titled Justice for Palestine with implicit 1 cardinal signatures is forcing the contented onto the agenda.

Crucially, a suspension would not mean a afloat commercialized ban. About 60% of Israeli exports to the EU already bask zero tariffs nether modular WTO rules.

However, the remaining 37% trust connected special, duty-free attraction granted exclusively by this agreement. Suspending it would slap abrupt tariffs connected Israeli machinery, aesculapian devices, and pharmaceuticals.

The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, with a narration worthy much than €45 cardinal a year.

The European Commission estimates this would enforce an other €227 cardinal a twelvemonth successful duties connected Israeli exports and frost millions successful bilateral EU backing for ongoing practice projects.

And to afloat scrap the deal, the EU needs everyone's agreement. However, suspending conscionable the commercialized privileges requires lone a qualified bulk vote.

Although Israel has mislaid 1 of its staunchest allies successful Viktor Orban's Hungary, and with Italy taking a harder enactment amid attacks connected Christian places of faith, the connection inactive faces an uphill battle.

Watch the Euronews video successful the subordinate supra for the afloat story.