Already at the end of June, the EU's Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas stated that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a breach of the conditions in the cooperation agreement they have with the EU. Yet, the EU will not get anywhere with its measures.
The reason is simple: the disagreement among EU countries is so great that decisions cannot be made with unanimity or other majorities.
Kallas notes that a lot depends on some countries' unwillingness to clash with President Trump in the USA.
We are really trying to do what we can, but if the USA supports everything the Israeli government does, then their leverage lies there and ours elsewhere, unfortunately, she said at a conference in Brussels last week.
Requires unity
The most pro-Palestinian of the EU countries are Spain and Ireland, with strong support from France.
The most pro-Israeli are Hungary and the Czech Republic, mainly backed by Germany.
To introduce sanctions against, for example, Israeli ministers or completely stop the cooperation agreement, total unity is required, which means that it is enough for one country to resist to say no.
Milder measures, such as freezing parts of Israel's participation in the research cooperation Horizon Europe, require "only" support from 15 countries – but then these countries must also gather at least two-thirds of the EU's total population.
Genocide or not?
This sum is difficult to reach as long as a major country like Germany is not involved. And for Germany, the legacy of the Second World War's Nazi extermination of Jews still weighs heavily, making it extremely difficult for the country to act against Israel.
The EU Commission is also divided. Spanish Vice-President Teresa Ribera is alone in openly talking about genocide in Gaza.
Officially, the EU Commission has the same line as, for example, the Swedish government.
It is not up to the Commission to decide on this issue and definition, but a court case, says Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho.
Frustrated Kallas
The Commission is still pushing for a sharper line. Chairman Ursula von der Leyen promised on Wednesday that formal proposals will be presented on new sanctions and trade stops, as well as a freeze on bilateral support to Israel.
Among those in the EU who want to increase pressure on Israel, there is a clear frustration – not only over the disagreement but also against the fact that the EU's inability is often criticized more harshly than others. Both practically, politically, and economically, the EU and many EU countries are among the heaviest when it comes to support for Palestinians and a two-state solution.
I refuse to accept that the EU would be inactive. It is not true, said Kaja Kallas last week.
Here are some alternatives that the EU can take to put pressure on Israel:
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Pause the cooperation agreement – which, however, requires unanimity among all countries.
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Introduce sanctions against more settlers and/or ministers – also requires unanimity.
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Pause trade agreements (or parts of them) – requires "only" a qualified majority, which can, however, be difficult to achieve if, for example, Germany or Italy do not give their support.
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Pause parts of Israel's participation in the research cooperation Horizon Europe – has been formally proposed and also requires only a qualified majority. Has not yet been put to a formal vote, however.
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Pause the bilateral support to Israel – can be done on its own by the EU Commission and was promised on Wednesday by Chairman Ursula von der Leyen. The support and cooperation with Yad Vashem (the center for remembrance of the Holocaust) will not be affected, however.
