The European Commission will propose punitive measures against Israel on Wednesday, in a bid to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to change course over the war in Gaza.
The “main gist” of the proposals would be to sanction violent settlers and extremist ministers, and to suspend the trade-related part of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her State of the Union address in Strasbourg last week to outline the actions she wanted to take against Israel over its conduct of the war.
The EU’s 26 commissioners, plus von der Leyen, will formally propose the measures on Wednesday, however it remains unclear whether EU states will support the latest steps.
EU states have yet to back an initial Commission proposal from July to suspend Israeli companies from the EU’s Horizon research program. Meanwhile, Hungary is already blocking the EU from sanctioning violent settlers.
Pinho confirmed that Wednesday’s package would include measures that require validation by national governments.
Von der Leyen also announced plans last week to suspend bilateral payments from the Commission to Israel, but Pinho did not mention that on Tuesday.
“We’ll see if anything else [is proposed],” Pinho told reporters, refusing to give more details.
Earlier on Tuesday, a United Nations committee of inquiry announced its finding that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects that accusation. The European Commission’s official position is also to refrain from using the word, deferring to future rulings by international courts.
(vc)
