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Germany against suspending EU deal with Israel, official says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Germany opposes suspending the EU-Israel agreement amid tensions over Israel's actions in Gaza, highlighting divisions within the EU.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany does not support calls to suspend a pact governing Israel's relations with the European Union, a government official said on Monday, highlighting divisions within the bloc.
There has been deepening concern in European capitals in recent months about Israel's military operations in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
Spain's foreign minister said earlier on Monday he would ask the EU council to approve an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association agreement in protest over what he called human rights violations in Gaza.
The bloc's diplomatic service also said on Friday that Israel may have breached its human rights obligations in Gaza and the West Bank under the deal. Israel rejected that report as a "moral and methodological failure".
"Our position is very clear - we do not support either a suspension or a partial suspension," the official said at a German government briefing.
As such an upcoming EU summit will involve intense discussions about Iran and Israel but is unlikely to result in any decisions, the official said.
Germany has long followed a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust, and been much slower during the current conflict to criticize Israel for its conduct than other EU states.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Nia Williams)
Germany does not support calls to suspend the EU-Israel Association agreement, emphasizing a clear stance against any suspension.
There has been growing concern in Europe about Israel's military operations in Gaza and the humanitarian situation, with calls for a suspension of the agreement due to alleged human rights violations.
The Staatsraeson is a policy that reflects Germany's special responsibility towards Israel, rooted in the historical context of the Nazi Holocaust.
The upcoming EU summit will involve intense discussions about Iran and Israel, although it is not expected to lead to any concrete decisions.
Israel has rejected reports claiming it breached human rights obligations under the EU-Israel deal, labeling them as a 'moral and methodological failure.'
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