Spain will again propose the suspension of the EU Association Agreement with Israel this Tuesday

Eduardo González Spain will again propose the suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel this Tuesday, April 21, before the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), because “a government that violates international law cannot be a partner of the European Union.” This was announced on Sunday by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, during a campaign event in Gibraleón, Huelva, in support of the Deputy Secretary General of the PSOE, Secretary General of the PSOE-A, former Minister of Finance, and candidate for President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, María Jesús Montero, in the regional elections on May 17. “This Tuesday, the Government of Spain will take to Europe the proposal that the European Union break its Association Agreement with Israel, and we are going to do so not because we have anything against it; on the contrary, we are a friendly nation to the people of Israel,” he stated. “But we do not agree with the actions being carried out by your government, and a government that violates international law and, therefore, violates the principles and values of the European Union cannot be a partner of the European Union. It's that simple,” he continued. “That is why I ask for the support of all the countries of the European Union for this Spanish proposal,” he added. For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, declared this Monday that the European Union should “consider” the Spanish proposal under “Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which states that the relationship is based on human rights.” “Human rights are being repeatedly violated in Gaza, in Lebanon, with indiscriminate bombings against civilian targets; an illegal eviction order has been issued for southern Lebanon, with laws such as the death penalty law passed in the Israeli Parliament,” he stated during an interview on the program 'Las mañanas' on Radio Nacional de España. “Israel must understand that it cannot have a normal, natural relationship when human rights are being flagrantly violated,” he insisted. “What’s at stake is the EU’s role as a moderating power throughout the world. This is easy to do; it doesn’t cost European countries much,” he added. According to Albares, Israel “is leading the Middle East into a perpetual war” and is applying in southern Lebanon “the same military strategy as in Gaza, which is to prevent the lives of its Lebanese citizens there, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the flagrant violation of international law, the forced expulsion of the population and to prevent their return, in addition to attacks by both sides against UNIFIL.” “Israel wants control of part of a sovereign state, breaking its territorial integrity,” he asserted. “This would be very serious for the stability of the Middle East and for Israel’s security,” he warned. Following Sánchez’s announcement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote on social media that his government will not accept “a hypocritical interpretation from someone who has ties to totalitarian regimes that violate human rights, such as Erdogan’s Turkey and Maduro’s Venezuela.” Sánchez, he added, “receives thanks from the brutal regime of Iran and terrorist organizations and has dedicated himself to spreading antisemitism.” In response to these remarks, Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated on TVE that the Spanish government “will not take lessons” from a minister or a country whose army is destroying Lebanon. The Association Agreement Spain has repeatedly requested the suspension of the Agreement, signed in Brussels in 1995 and in force since 2000, which constitutes the legal basis governing relations between Israel and the European Union. According to the Spanish government, Israel is violating Article 2 of the text, which states that “relations between the Parties, as well as all provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guide their domestic and international policy and constitute an essential element of this Agreement.” Based on these principles, Spain and Ireland requested in February 2024 that the European Commission undertake an “urgent assessment” of Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the Association Agreement and, “if it considers that Israel is in breach,” propose “appropriate measures” to the Council for its consideration. In May 2025, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced that the European Commission would begin a formal review process of the Association Agreement with Israel with the aim of pressuring the country to facilitate the unrestricted passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Kallas made this announcement in Brussels at the end of a meeting of the European Economic and Social Council (EEC) in which Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Luxembourg reiterated their call for a review of the Agreement. In September 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during her State of the Union address that Brussels had proposed suspending certain provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, such as the chapter on the establishment of a free trade area between the two parties (with its tariff implications), but made it clear that provisions relating to capital movements and certain customs aspects would not be suspended, as trade between the two parties must continue to function and the flow of money must not be interrupted. Specifically, Kaja Kallas stated this Monday that some member states—Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland—have requested that the debate on a possible suspension of the Association Agreement be reopened. However, she noted that this measure would require a unanimous position, and therefore, she stated, “it should be assessed whether it is possible to move forward” with some of the proposals already submitted, such as the suspension of the trade pillar of the agreement, which would only require a qualified majority, “to exert pressure on Israel.”

Related Content

50 years since Juan Carlos I's trip to the US that sealed international support for the Transition

The “Madrid Declaration” calls for gender parity “in all areas of foreign policy”

A political ally of Kast, Juan Antonio Coloma, is Chile's new ambassador to Spain

The Government of Peru dismisses its ambassador in Spain, who will continue in office until the end of July

The Cervantes Institute will hold its Annual Directors' Meeting in Jerez at the end of July