EU Commission Chief To Seek Sanctions, Partial Trade Suspension Against Israel

Brussel, September 10 (Reuters) – European Commission, sanctions on pro -excessive Israeli ministers and a European Union agreement with Israel will propose to suspend trade measures, the European Commission President Ursula von Len leyen said in a statement on Wednesday.

In his speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the proposals declared by Von Der Leyen reflect pressure on Israel’s growing EU criticism for the behavior of Gaza and the increasing pressure for Bloc’s executive body.

The proposals will be widely or unanimously supported between the EU member states, which is difficult to obtain because the block is deeply divided into the Middle East. However, Von Der Leyen made it clear that the proposal is a political signal.

“What happened in Gaza shook the conscience of the world, Von said Von Der Luyen, in his speech of the Union State, an annual address that determines their priorities next year.

Von der leyen accepted the chapters in Europe on Gaza, but promised that the commission would do its best.

“We will recommend sanctions to extreme ministers and severe settlers. In addition, we will recommend that the association agreement be suspended partially on trade issues,” he said.

He did not name the ministers or outlines of “trade measures ve or outline of the commission to be proposed to suspend.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday that Von Der Leyen’s comments were “sad ve and added that the president is aware of Israel’s efforts to help humanitarian aid and that suffering in Gaza was caused by Hamas.

“The President of the Commission leads to the pressure of the elements trying to undermine Israel -europe relations,” the Minister said.

According to the EU, the European Union is the largest trade partner of Israel and the trade between the two ($ 49.9 billion) between the two ($ 49.9 billion).

According to a July Options article prepared by the EU’s diplomatic service, the suspension of the entire trade department of the association agreement that regulates relations with Israel will withdraw trade preferences for Israeli products that enter the EU.

A qualified majority will require votes among the EU governments – the support of 15 EU members representing 65% of the EU population.

EU members such as Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands wanted to suspend the EU free trade agreement with Israel. However, others, such as Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, opposed such steps.

Sanctions for EU individuals unanimously require support from member states. Hungary prevented violent settlers for sanctions for sanctions.

Von Der Leyen, “I know it will be difficult to find the majority. And I know it will be too much for one of any action and too little for others. But we should all take our own responsibility,” he said.

Spain welcomed the announcement of the chairman of the commission.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albbareres said, “We Europeans cannot have normal relations with Israel when there is an ugly, systematic and daily violation of human rights in Gaza.”

Von Der leyen also said that the commission would take the bilateral support to Israel without affecting the work with Israeli civil society and Israel’s main Holocaust Monument Center YAD Vashem. He didn’t give details about how much financing would be affected.

The Commission had previously proposed to prevent access to Israel’s flagship research financing program, but it had not received enough support from the EU member states for the movement.

Diplomats, Berlin’s opinion on the proposal is the key and Germany has not been convinced so far, he said.

The Chief of the Commission said that the body would establish a Palestinian Donor group, including Gaza restructuring tool next month. (Lili Bayer in Brussels and Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Andrew Gray and Madrid;