Can the EU overcome divergence over sanctions against Israel?

Ursula von der Leyen's announcement during her State of the Union code this period comes conscionable weeks earlier the 2nd day of the Gaza war. In an antithetic rebuke of the Jewish state, the European Commission president criticized the standard of the Israeli subject campaign, which, she said, created a "man-made famine" successful the Palestinian territory. 

Following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas which saw 1,200 radical killed and 250 hostages taken, Israel launched a large subject cognition successful the Gaza Strip, which has already caused much than 64,000 deaths, according to information from the Hamas-led authorities successful Gaza. 

To unit the Tel Aviv authorities to alteration its people of action, the European Commission projected a bundle of measures, the astir impactful of which was the suspension of the commercialized constituent of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It's estimated this would outgo €227 cardinal for Israeli exporters. 

To beryllium implemented, that authorisation requires a qualified bulk ballot by the 27 subordinate states, which volition beryllium hard to achieve. 

"The divisions successful Europe are very, precise deep. On 1 side, determination are countries that privation to determination guardant with sanctions, that judge Palestine has the close to beryllium a state, that judge successful the two-state solution and privation much action", said Maïa de La Baume, who's been covering this taxable for Euronews. 

"On the different side, determination are countries that besides person humanities ties to Israel - Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic - that privation to sphere their sacrosanct enslaved with Israel," she added. 

The proposed package besides includes halting transfers from the EU fund to the bilateral practice program, and sanctions against Israeli ministers for inciting hatred and against convulsive settlers who origin demolition successful the West Bank. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar reacted to the European Commission's announcement by saying it was "unacceptable behaviour betwixt partners". 

Parliament besides adopts solution amid heavy divisions

The European Parliament adopted a solution (305 votes successful favour, 151 against, and 122 abstentions) calling for measures to extremity the warfare successful Gaza and to find a solution for the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. 

Hildegarde Bentele (Germany/EPP), president of the Delegation for Relations with Israel, told Euronews that "this is not the time" to suggest sanctions, particularly connected a commercialized level. 

"In the resolution, we accidental that determination is an betterment successful the humanitarian situation. I would similar that we take a conditional suspension (of trade), oregon springiness an inducement for Israel, alternatively than a punishment," said Bentele. 

By opposition her workfellow Lynn Boylan (Ireland/The Left), seat of the Delegation for Palestinian Relations, said: "I judge that if we had taken enactment earlier, it would person sent a precise beardown connection and astir apt would person saved thousands of lives." 

The EU has historically advocated a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully. Only 10 of the 27 EU countries person recognised Palestinian sovereignty. Spain, Ireland and Slovenia did truthful aft the Gaza warfare started, and France, Belgium, Malta and Luxembourg precocious announced their volition to bash the same. 

MEP Bentele says this is simply a risky step: "We indispensable guarantee that this caller State of Palestine recognizes Israel's close to exist, due to the fact that that is the main occupation successful the region, and that it does not harbor terrorists." 

MEP Boylan welcomed the move, however, saying: "I deliberation the European Union should admit the State of Palestine, but for maine the main precedence indispensable beryllium to extremity the killings, due to the fact that we request a Palestine of Palestinians to person a state." 

Watch the video here! 

Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva 

Content production: Pilar Montero López 

Video production: Zacharia Vigneron 

Graphism: Loredana Dumitru 

Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones