EU summit: Critical debate about Israel and support for Ukraine

EU summit: Critical debate about Israel and support for Ukraine

On June 25, 2025, the EU Foreign Ministers will discuss a critical examination of Article 2 of the EU Israel Association Agreement. This report emphasizes the problems of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and has led to the fact that more and more European countries are publicly criticizing in the region. Some EU countries are already calling for the agreement to be suspended, while Germany and Austria are cautious in this debate. These different views are at the center of the discussions at the upcoming EU summit, which will take place with many topics, but probably without significant decisions, such as Tagesschau . Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Feldkamp has stimulated the review of the agreement and emphasizes that some countries, such as the Netherlands, only want to agree to the extension of the EU Israel action plan if the agreement is subjected to a critical review.

criticism of Israel's measures

The EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas was concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and described Israel's measures as insufficient. An eight-sided document that the European Foreign Service (EEAS) has published describes a persistent lack of accountability of all pages involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kallas asked Israel to raise the blockade of humanitarian aid for Gaza, while other EU countries, led by Spain, Belgium and Ireland, are increasingly putting pressure on the Israeli government.

The critical situation in Gaza, which has been significantly tightened by the military measures of Israel, which has been running significantly since October 2023, has led to several EU countries calling for consequences. Almost two thirds of the 27 EU member countries are now calling for changes in dealing with Israel, which is a drastic departure from the former Israel-friendly attitude of many European countries. The agreement contains provisions on the maintenance of human rights, but it is increasingly being questioned because the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is becoming increasingly pressing.

The context of the EU summit

At the upcoming summit, other topics should also be discussed, including the increased support of Ukraine and the stop of the 18th sanction package against Russia, which is blocked by Hungary and Slovakia. President Wolodymyr Selenskyj will participate virtually. NATO has undertaken to invest five percent of GDP in defense and security annually by 2035, which underlines the need to increase defense spending. At this summit, the EU will emphasize that these costs for the security of Europe have to be increased.

During the discourse on the status of the EU Israel Association Agreement, any changes in relation to Israel must unanimously decide by all Member States-a hurdle that significantly complicated. In the meantime, the EU remains the most important trading partner of Israel, with a goods trade of 42.6 billion euros in the past year - one aspect that must also be taken into account when checking the agreement, such as politico reported.