Drama at European Foreign Ministers Meeting: All Proposals Against Israel Were Blocked
European Union foreign ministers failed to agree on measures against Israel following the fighting in Gaza. A series of proposals, including sanctions and calls for a ceasefire, were blocked.
After weeks of threats from extremist countries in Europe against Israel, the EU foreign ministers' meeting held today in the union's capital Brussels ended without measures against Israel.
During recent weeks, several EU member states, including countries like Spain and Ireland, called on the European Union to adopt harsh measures against Israel. Among the measures raised by the extremist sides in the union were economic sanctions, freezing trade relations with Israel, stopping imports, and even suspending/canceling the association agreement between Israel and the EU.
According to reports, the ministers discussed various initiatives including calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, freezing economic agreements, and imposing sanctions, but none of the proposals managed to achieve the required majority among the 27 member states.
Diplomatic sources reported that there is "support in principle" for joint action toward Israel, but internal disagreements between Western and Eastern European countries prevented agreement on practical measures. Countries like Ireland and Spain pushed for a tougher stance toward Israel, while others, including Germany and Hungary, blocked any binding initiative.
For a political decision to be binding on EU member states, it must be adopted unanimously by all union members. Israel has very positive relations with a series of EU countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and other countries that are expected to prevent extremist moves against Israel.
According to various reports, Foreign Minister Saar and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas were intensively involved in preventing the decisions against Israel.