DaysofPal- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday called for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing the Israeli role in committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking before the Spanish Parliament, Sánchez sharply criticized the Israeli government, saying its actions “will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters of the 21st century.”
Sánchez recalled that Spain and Ireland had formally requested in February 2024 that the European Union evaluate the Israeli compliance with the terms of the Association Agreement. He referred to the June 23 report by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, which concluded that there is more than sufficient evidence that Israel has violated Article 2 of the agreement, an article that stipulates respect for human rights as a fundamental basis for the partnership.
“Despite this report, the EU has yet to take any action,” Sánchez noted. “No one who tramples on the founding principles of the European Union and uses starvation as a weapon to eliminate a legitimate state — Palestine — can be considered a partner of the EU.”
He added: “We cannot be complicit in the greatest genocide of this century through indifference, hesitation, or political calculations.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, signed in Brussels on November 20, 1995, and entered into force on June 1, 2000, outlines the terms of political and economic relations between the EU and the Israeli occupation.
Article 2 specifically conditions the agreement on respect for human rights and democratic principles.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation — with backing from the United States — has waged a campaign of genocide in Gaza, marked by mass killings, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, in defiance of international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the offensive.
To date, the war has left over 195,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of them women and children, with more than 10,000 reported missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and widespread famine has claimed countless lives, including those of children.
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