MADRID, June 26, 2025 (WAFA) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced today that he would urge the European Union (EU) to suspend its partnership agreement with Israel immediately, citing flagrant violations of human rights, particularly in relation to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Sánchez made the remarks in a press statement ahead of an EU Council meeting in Brussels, where he strongly criticized the Union for failing to take action against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. He accused the EU of double standards, stressing the Union’s imposition of sanctions on Russia over its war with Ukraine, while continuing to uphold a partnership agreement with Israel despite its alleged breaches of international law.
“It makes no sense for the EU to impose new sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine while continuing to honor an agreement with Israel that violates the fundamental principles of human rights as outlined in the partnership agreement,” Sánchez said.
He emphasized that the European Union had failed to act despite Israel’s repeated violations of Article 2 of the agreement, which obliges both parties to uphold human rights and international law.
“I will push for an immediate suspension of the agreement,” Sánchez added. “The EU can no longer wait to take action.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, establishes the legal framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two parties. According to Article 2 of the agreement, the partnership is contingent on respect for human rights and international law. Sánchez reiterated that Israel’s actions in Gaza have clearly breached its commitments under this agreement.
Since February 2024, Spain and Ireland have been pressing the EU to reconsider the agreement, but the bloc only agreed to review it following a proposal by the Netherlands in May. This week, EU foreign ministers met to address the review, which found "indications" of Israel violating its human rights obligations in Gaza.
However, after the meeting, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, ruled out suspending the agreement for now, citing the EU's priority to change the situation on the ground.
M.N
