Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called on Monday for the European Union to implement the suspension of the Association Agreement, an arms embargo, and sanctions against Israeli individuals who undermine the two-state solution, following the report by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, which points to “indications” that Israel committed possible human rights violations during its offensive in Gaza, in contradiction with the clauses contained in the pact.
Upon his arrival at the meeting of EU foreign ministers, Albares called on the EU to “courage” to take steps against Israel after the External Action Service report points to human rights violations during the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
He thus called for the “immediate suspension” of the Association Agreement with Israel, an embargo on arms sales, and individual sanctions against “all those who want to definitively thwart the two-state solution.”
“We must have courage. The time for words, the time for declarations, is over. The Palestinians of Gaza need action,” he asserted, calling for the EU to go beyond denouncing the situation in Gaza.
The Kallas report “clearly indicates what Spain already knew,” Albares noted, emphasizing that it indicates a “flagrant” violation of human rights in the Gaza Strip. This Monday’s meeting is presented as the first to discuss the EU External Action Service report, with no immediate retaliation planned due to a lack of consensus among Member States.
The EU External Action Service’s assessment is that Israel is in breach of the Human Rights Clause, in contradiction with the safeguards contained in the agreement. “Based on assessments carried out by independent international institutions, there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” states the report prepared by Kallas and delivered to the EU-27.
In Brussels, they are speaking of Monday’s debate as a “starting point for decision-making” and appreciate that Kallas’s report provides new data and information on a debate that is highly divisive within the EU, but in which a change in tone is perceived.
