Time for EU governments to put their words on Gaza into action and suspend parts of the EU Israel Association Agreement

Following the welcome statement by 28 western governments, including Ireland and 19 other EU Member States, strongly urging the immediate flow of all aid into Gaza, the Green Party has asked the Tánaiste to press upon his counterparts that action must follow if these words are to have weight and use a QMV vote to suspend those sections of the EU Israel Association Agreement where QMV applies, like the free trade chapter. 

Roderic O'Gorman TD: “We see just last week the EU Council foreign ministers failed to adopt a single measure of the 10 options prepared after the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement just undertaken. This week, thousands more in Gaza suffer immeasurably without food, without basic sanitary products, without medicine.

“We know the depressing politics here - unanimity to suspend the entire Association Agreement, though clearly warranted, will be virtually impossible without huge course changes from governments like Hungary. But those 20 EU Member States who were party to Monday’s strong statement represent almost three quarters of Member States and almost 70% of the EU population - over the threshold needed to act by qualified majority.

“This is an opportunity for our Government to urge action - any action. While the goal must remain the suspension of the Agreement, even lesser measures now will be better than nothing. Working with the High Representative and the Danish presidency, Ireland and other likeminded governments should seek a vote on the immediate suspension of all aspects of the EU-Israel relationship which can be done through QMV - like the suspension of the free trade pillar within the Association Agreement, or excluding Israel from Horizon research funding.

“The apparent EU agreement with Israel which HR Kaja Kallas said was based on “strong signals” that aid would immediately flow is over a week old. It appears some countries withheld supporting actions based on this intervention. However, the only signals we see today are the continued suffering of Gaza and starvation of its children, and the continued impunity with which the government of Israel conducts itself. It’s time for action, and for our Government and the Tánaiste to, at minimum, immediately press for a QMV vote on suspending parts of the Association Agreement.”

Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Cllr Janet Horner stated,

“Using starvation as a weapon of war targets women and children and all with extra vulnerabilities. It is unconscionable and should spur the world to action immediately. All efforts should be made to ensure delivery of aid into Gaza, and that means putting Israel under international political pressure”.