By Egypt Independent
Copyright egyptindependent
On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed imposing sweeping sanctions on Israel, including the suspension of certain trade preferences that cover nearly a third of Israeli goods exported to the European Union. The move is a reaction to military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said today, Wednesday: “We all agree that the situation in Gaza is still heading in the wrong direction. We must use the tools available to us as a means to pressure the Israeli government to change its approach.”
An internal European review concluded that Israeli actions in the conflict-ridden area violate an agreement between the European Union and Israel that requires both parties to respect human rights, according to the German news agency (dpa).
Kallas added: “Suspending trade privileges and imposing sanctions on extremist ministers, violent settlers, and Hamas elements would send a strong message from the European Union that this war must end, the suffering must stop, and the hostages must be released.”
The proposal, however, faces significant political challenges within the 27-member bloc. For the sanctions to be adopted, they must be approved by a “double-majority”: the support of at least 15 countries representing 65 percent of the EU’s total population.
This is a difficult hurdle to clear, as evidenced by a previous proposal to suspend research funding that failed to gain enough backing, with Germany notably opposing the move. The difficulty of reaching a consensus is underscored by Kallas’s direct appeals to Berlin and other member states to support the sanctions plans.
