DaysofPal— The European Palestinian Council for Political Relations stated that a European citizens’ initiative calling for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement has gathered nearly 1.3 million signatures, describing the outcome as an “unprecedented” shift in European public and political attitudes toward Palestine.
EUPAC chairman Majed Al-Zeer said the initiative’s success places European Union institutions under increasing pressure to respond to public demands.
“The conclusion of the signature-gathering phase, reaching 1,299,914 signatures, represents an exceptional achievement,” Al-Zeer said, noting that the campaign surpassed the one-million-signature threshold within three months of its launch and continued to gain momentum in subsequent months.
The initiative, registered under the European Citizens’ Initiative framework, also met the required national thresholds in 14 out of the bloc’s 27 member states, double the minimum of seven countries required under EU rules, giving it what Al-Zeer described as “political significance beyond procedural and legal dimensions.”
He said the results indicate that broad segments of European citizens are no longer willing to accept continued political and economic privileges granted to Israeli occupation amid ongoing violations of international law and Palestinian rights.
According to Al-Zeer, European activism has evolved “from moral solidarity and street protests to the use of democratic tools to directly influence decision-making within the European Union.”
France, Italy, and Spain led in the number of signatures, alongside strong participation in Northern and Western European countries. Al-Zeer highlighted Germany’s crossing of the required threshold as particularly significant, citing its political weight and what he described as a more restrictive environment for pro-Palestinian activism.
The next phase of the process involves verification of signatures by national authorities, after which the initiative will be submitted to the European Commission.
A hearing is then expected in the European Parliament, followed by an official response from the Commission outlining potential actions.
EUPAC called for continued political, legal, and media efforts to sustain momentum and translate public support into concrete policy changes within EU institutions, including the Commission, Parliament, and the Council of the European Union.
Al-Zeer said the 1.3 million signatures “are not just a number, but a clear political message reflecting a widening gap between European public opinion and the policies of some governments toward Israel.”
The development comes days after EU foreign ministers failed during a meeting in Brussels to agree on new sanctions against Israeli occupation over the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, amid opposition from Germany.
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