Spain will formally request the termination of the association agreement between the EU and Israel
The head of the government in Madrid announced on Sunday that Spain will ask the European Union to end its association agreement with Israel, a country it accuses of violating international law, according to AFP and Politico.
Speaking at a political event in Andalusia, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that “on Tuesday, the Spanish government will present to the EU a proposal for the European Union to break its association agreement with Israel,” which has been in place since June 2000.
The Spanish leader, who has stepped up his criticism of Israel in the past year, accuses the country of “violating international law” and therefore “cannot be a partner of the European Union”.
“It's that simple,” Sanchez added, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
Letter to Kaja Kallas
The foreign ministers of Spain, Ireland and Slovenia sent a letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday accusing Israel of violating the association agreement. They say the approval of the death penalty by the Israeli parliament and the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank are violations of basic human rights.
Madrid's formal proposal to end the association agreement, however, has little chance of success at present, as it would need the unanimous approval of the 27 member states, writes Politico. According to the publication, such an initiative is likely to run into opposition from a group of states led by Germany, which have consistently voted against tougher measures.
In September, a European Commission proposal to sanction some Israeli ministers and suspend trade-related sections of the association agreement failed to win a majority in the EU Council.
