EU Commission shifts responsibility to member states over Israel policy

The proposed suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement has languished since last September, despite ongoing reports of settler violence and a death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians since the October 2023 Hamas attacks. While the UN human rights commission has explicitly characterized the situation as genocide, the EU remains paralyzed by a requirement for consensus among its 27 leaders.

Šuica emphasized that the union’s foreign policy framework demands unanimous agreement, effectively placing the decision in the hands of national governments rather than the Commission. She expressed hope that the incoming Irish EU presidency might finally bridge the internal divide. At the heart of the debate is the Association Agreement itself, which mandates adherence to human rights and democratic principles as a condition for the partnership. MEPs are increasingly demanding that the bloc trigger these clauses to hold Israel accountable for the destruction in the occupied territories.