Belgium to Lead EU Review of Israel Trade Deal Amid Escalating Violence

Belgium has announced plans to request the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, to reopen the debate on reviewing the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This move follows similar calls from Spain and Ireland to assess Israel's compliance with human rights obligations under the trade deal.

The decision comes amid escalating violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where settler attacks on Palestinians have surged since the Israel-Hamas war last year. Israeli settlers have been accused of displacing Palestinian communities, assaulting, torturing, and committing sexual violence against Palestinians.

The EU has previously criticized Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which are considered a breach of international law. The bloc has called for such decisions to be reversed. Some EU member states, such as France and Belgium, have already unilaterally imposed national sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for settler violence.

Why this matters: The move to review the EU-Israel trade deal is aimed at exerting pressure on the Israeli government to exercise restraint in its actions against Palestinians. It reflects growing concern within the EU over Israel's human rights record and the impact of the ongoing conflict on regional stability.

Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, stated that Belgium will co-sponsor a UN resolution in favor of full Palestinian UN membership and call for an EU-wide import duty on products coming from illegal Israeli settlements. The EU is also set to impose sanctions on four individuals and two entities responsible for settler violence, including the far-right Jewish supremacist organization Lehava and the Hilltop Youth group.

Tensions have been high in the Occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of nearly 34,000 victims. The International Court of Justice has issued an interim ruling ordering Israel to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

The EU is carefully calibrating its stance on the Middle East conflict following the recent escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran. The US has also imposed sanctions on entities accused of fundraising for extremist Israeli settlers. Ireland and Spain have called on the EU to impose economic penalties on Israel if it is violating human rights.

Belgium's initiative to lead the re-evaluation of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which forms the legal basis governing the EU's trade relations with Israel, constitutes a significant step in the bloc's efforts to address the ongoing conflict and human rights concerns in the region. As the international community closely monitors developments, the outcome of this review could have far-reaching implications for EU-Israel relations and the broader Middle East peace process.

Key Takeaways

• Belgium to request EU review of EU-Israel trade deal over human rights concerns.
• EU to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers and entities responsible for violence.
• Belgium to co-sponsor UN resolution for full Palestinian UN membership.
• EU and US impose sanctions on Israeli settler groups and fundraisers.
• Outcome of EU-Israel trade deal review could impact Middle East peace process.