Summary
- German Chancellor Merz resists EU plan to suspend
Israel research ties.
- Germany and Italy blocked the proposal, stopping EU
majority support.
- Proposal targets Israel's participation in Horizon
Europe innovation fund.
- EU pressure mounts amid Gaza humanitarian and human
rights concerns.
- Talks continue to find compromise, avoid diplomatic
crisis with Israel.
The Israeli government has set off a
"humanitarian catastrophe" that threatens "virtually the entire
Gaza population," according to the European Commission's proposal this
week to cancel portions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Germany has so far declined to approve the plan,
which would be a significant departure from its historically steadfast support
for Israel, despite the fact that an increasing number of EU nations support
such a move. After Merz indicated he wanted to watch how the situation on the
ground unfolds over the next few days, diplomats from several EU nations
privately expressed their dissatisfaction with Berlin.
Over the past two weeks, as the situation facing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza has become more
desperate, international pressure has increased on Israel. European
politicians, such as Emmanuel Macron of France and Keir Starmer of the United
Kingdom, have declared their intention to recognize a Palestinian state and are
calling on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt hostilities and allow
relief organizations to send food and medical supplies.
This week, even Donald Trump admitted that
"real starvation" exists in Gaza.
After months of diplomatic wrangling, the
Commission delivered a harsh assessment of the situation on Monday, accusing
Israel of breaking international humanitarian law. A "collapse of basic
services," "thousands of civilian deaths," and starvation for
the whole Gaza population were all included in the statement that called for
action against Israel.
The Commission's proposal, which was distributed
among EU ambassadors on Tuesday, calls for the suspension of Israel's access to
Horizon Europe, the bloc's premier research program, in part. Despite the
urgency, Germany and three other nations vetoed the proposal since it didn't
seem to have enough support from EU nations at the envoys' conference.
But there are signs Merz’s opposition is softening. The German leader said Monday that Berlin would await the outcome of a planned visit to Israel next week by the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the U.K.
“We naturally reserve the right to hold further discussions and make further decisions,”
he said.
“We assume that the Israeli government is quite willing to recognize that something must be done now.”
Merz is also coming under more and more
criticism at home. In light of the Gaza crisis, the Social Democrats (SPD) of
the German government and certain members of the opposition have started to
doubt Germany's steadfast support for Israel.
Government talks are scheduled for after the German foreign minister’s visit, said Derya Türk-Nachbaur, an SPD lawmaker.
“I would like us to decide on more concrete measures.”
“Coordinating at the European level also means possibly increasing the pressure with France and England, and perhaps also not blocking measures announced by the EU,”
she added. In June, the SPD formally urged the government to stop blocking partial suspension of the association agreement at the EU level.
“Pressure on Germany might come more from internal parties than from other EU countries,”
one diplomatic source told POLITICO. Even Merz’s Christian Democrats
“can no longer justify or cover up Israel’s actions.”
Italy, which previously supported Germany in
opposing the Commission's proposal, is now changing its mind. The same
individual went on to say, "Italy is with Germany, but in reality, both countries
are considering changing their position, and discussions are underway with the
Israeli government." The position was supported by other EU diplomats and
officials who were also given anonymity to talk about delicate subjects.
According to the diplomats and officials, a
number of nations are now impatient and want the Commission to take further
action, suspending important trade ties with Israel and maybe outlawing the
import of any commodities from the occupied areas.
The delicate balance in the Council may shift in
favor of a formal EU censure of Israel, starting with the Horizon Europe
initiative and possibly expanding to more extensive trade penalties, if Berlin
changes its mind.
Germany could shift its stance in the next few
hours or days, according to analysts, since the diplomatic landscape is swiftly
changing. Within the next week, the ambassadors of EU nations may be invited
back to Brussels for an urgent conference to vote on the Commission's Horizon
plan.
According to one source who spoke to POLITICO, one obstacle is the requirement that the Commission's draft legal text be translated from English into other EU languages so that nations can properly assess the idea.
“If Hamas remains, then declaring the willingness to immediately recognize Palestine as a state is a political gesture, not an anathema,”
said one Italian official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“But we need to see what opportunities may arise in a week’s time. As things progress with the current situation, or rather the continuation of Israeli military attacks, even the Italian government could change its mind,”
he added.
Ribera said that “for months, practically every week,” she has urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take a stronger stance.
“The Commission is a reflection of national sensibilities. Institutionally it shouldn’t be so, it is supposed to be independent and represent the interests of the EU, but the truth is that everyone comes with their cultural context, their beliefs.”
The EU's inability to reach a consensus on what is essentially a symbolic move highlights the lack of substance in its response, according to those on the ground.
“The mere fact that the EU can’t even agree on the smallest step possible … is a joke in the face of the scale of the suffering,”
Bushra Khalidi, the policy lead for Oxfam in the Palestinian territories, told POLITICO.
“Some countries say they need more time, but it’s just more time for more death in Gaza.”
How does Germany's stance affect the EU’s collective response to the Gaza crisis?
Germany's stance, particularly under Chancellor
Friedrich Merz, significantly affects the European Union's collective response
to the Gaza crisis by blocking or delaying key punitive and diplomatic actions
against Israel.
Germany has resisted endorsing a proposal to
suspend Israel's participation in the EU’s Horizon Europe research program and
reviewing or suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement despite growing
calls from other EU countries to take a tougher stance due to Israel's military
actions and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Germany, along with a few other EU states,
remains opposed to suspending or reviewing agreements with Israel, which
requires unanimity or qualified majority votes.