The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that Spain will propose this Tuesday to the European Union the rupture of the Association Agreement with Israel, in a move that places the debate on relations with the country at the center of the community agenda. The initiative will be presented before the European institutions with the aim of gathering support among the Member States.
Sánchez has justified this proposal on the need for the European Union to act in accordance with its founding principles and values. According to what he has argued, a government that violates international law should not maintain a preferential agreement with the community bloc, in reference to the actions of the Israeli Executive led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The announcement took place during a political event in Gibraleón (Huelva), in which the president has shared the stage with María Jesús Montero. In this context, Sánchez has stressed that Spain's position does not respond to an ideological issue, but to an approach based on respect for international law and human rights.
Furthermore, the head of the Executive has made a call to the international community to intensify diplomatic efforts that allow an end to the conflict in the Middle East. In his speech, he has pointed out the high human, economic, and social cost of the war, highlighting the impact on the civilian population and on the stability of the region.
This positioning of the Spanish Government occurs at a time when citizen pressure in Europe is growing on relations with Israel. In fact, a European Citizens' Initiative has recently exceeded the million necessary signatures to request the European Commission to suspend the agreement, which will oblige the community Executive to rule in the coming months on this issue.
