EU will examine Israel association agreement after massive public petition
Organizers say the EU should suspend its trade and political dialogue with Israel.
The European Commission plans to reassess its association agreement with Israel following a massive petition signed by over 1.1 million EU citizens. The Commission will meet the petition organizers to discuss the matter in detail, and a public hearing will be organized by the European Parliament. While the examination is unlikely to result in significant changes, it demonstrates the public's strong interest in EU-Israel relations, compelling the Commission to provide an official response.
Only 14 out of over 136 EU Citizens' Initiatives, established over a decade ago, have reached the required 1 million signatures. An earlier petition to expand abortion financing financing was rejected by the Commission earlier this year. The European Left Alliance, a coalition of 11 left-wing parties, initiated the current petition two years ago, urging the EU to suspend trade and political dialogue with Israel due to its alleged failure to prevent genocide in Gaza.
France led the signatures with 339,479, followed by Italy with 283,863 and Spain with 151,821. The Commission will respond by May 2027, indicating whether it intends to take action. The association agreement, signed in 1995 and effective since 2000, focuses on political dialogue and trade between the EU and Israel. As the EU's largest trading partner, Israel accounts for about one-third of all EU goods trade in 2025, according to EU data.
The conflict in Gaza and Lebanon has sparked intense criticism of Israel and divided European leaders.
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