Israel’s appetite for war in Gaza threatens its relationship with the European Union | Israel

In Israel, only one place may seem really important. On the other side of the world, Washington DC provides Israel a critical diplomatic shield in forums such as weapons, the support of the world’s most powerful army, and the United Nations.

However, the country’s economy is much closer to Europe than the USA. One -third of its trade is supported by the European Union with grants from the EU’s billions of dollars of Horizon Research Fund and is the best target for the Israelites who want to travel.

A Western diplomat, “Geography does not change and the lack of any partner other than the UAE in the region, Europe will always pass. The United States will always be 8,000 km away,” he said.

These ties have not partly turned into too much political influence for Europe, because in part, the continent has been prevented by divisions on Israel for a long time.

The critics of the illegal settlements of Israel and the recent war in Gaza, such as German and Austria, overweight and left behind by a combination of former member states of Israel, especially Hungary, and especially the new member states drawn by a common ethno-ulus vision.

Former EU Policy Chief Josep Borrell said, having leverage is willing to use it and implying that you can use it. ” “You can live in an illegal settlement and can still travel freely to Europe and export [products] How can we expect them to take our condemnation seriously? “

Three of Israel’s most loyal historical allies – France, Britain and Canada – when Israel threatened to act on Gaza’s war in Gaza last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the leaders of Hamas and anti -Semitism.

His country was untouched, the target of his attacks was like a man without a toothless and irrelevant or perhaps thinking of both. For many years, it may be a reasonable judgment based on the feeling that Israel can accept European support.

The relationship was so close that twenty years ago, the EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Described Israel As an unofficial member, then the-Kandidate Nation is more integrated than Croatia.

A European diplomat, attempts to influence politics, “politically, we feel like a thought for the leaders of Israel,” he said.

However, in recent months, the death and destruction scale in Gaza and the violence of the Christ in the West Bank, the public and political calculations have shifted throughout the block.

Among the steps taken so far, England has approved two cabin ministers, France played with unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, and supported sanctions against pro -extremist settlers.

Now, as a result, the EU is weighing to use all the weight of the economic leverage to change the Israeli policy.

Last month, the Netherlands, one of the most loyal European allies of Israel, traditionally asked for an urgent investigation as to whether Israel had violated human rights obligations that support the free trade agreement with the block.

Article 2 of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement, which allows free trade, free travel and academic cooperation, respects human rights and democratic principles as the “basic element of the relationship.

He received support from 17 EU member states, an unexpected group of demands. He said that some of this support came at the last minute, and that a diplomat that participated in an increasing feeling that he would continue to take Israel’s allies at the gate of Israel unless he brings a cost to ignore Europe’s concerns, said the last minute.

According to a copy of a report by Guardian, the EU’s foreign policy service has found “indications ın of rights violations. The support of concrete action will be tested on Monday’s best diplomat Kaja Kallas to its foreign ministers.

Although he did not call for urgent sanctions and EU diplomats did not reach this conclusion for the first time – there were similar findings made twice last year – in Europe, in an unprecedented internal pressure period.

“The situation (in Gaza) is getting worse and the majority of Europeans want to see more than only words. Three of four people in Germany, political spectatrik, in favor of suspending arms sales. So governments are talking to talk, but are they preparing to go for a walk?” said Borrell, the old top diplomat.

“Being a group of values… is the biggest arm of the EU, but we lose with our inconsistency.”

The association agreement cannot be suspended without voting unanimously, which is currently not possible. However, individual components can be paused with the support of the member states within the European Union and the voters representing the “qualified” majority of the population.

Any type of sanction will also need the support of Ursula von der Lenin. The Council may only vote for the proposals from the commission and determine the agenda for its meetings.

He criticized the war, saying that “disproportionate use” could not be justified, but that he did not adopt sanctions on Israel.

Many European government calls for steps caused by reducing Israel’s uniform access to markets and terminating Israeli tourists from the termination of Israeli tourists to visa -free travel.

The trade relationship is unstable, which gives Europe a room to give more pain than it will suffer by reducing access to its markets.

Israel’s advanced weapons and cyber intelligence products can be searched, but for the EU, in general trade, 31 are behind other Mediterranean nations, including Morocco and Algeria.^ST place.

Diplomats hope that some other potential measures can create indirect pressure on the government in Israel through the effects of voters. The stopping of a visa to Europe is not deep popular and is immediately felt.

“Maybe with this initiative, with this initiative, something seems to be changing in Israeli society,” he said. “People do not want their country to have a Pariah state.”