European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced Wednesday night that he sent an invitation to Foreign Minister Israel Katz to participate in a meeting of the EU Association Council, the steering committee for Israel-European Union relations. According to Borrell , he sent the invitation to Katz following an agreement reached with the various foreign ministers of the EU countries.
The council will meet against the backdrop of a demand from countries such as Spain, Ireland and Belgium to draw up a list of sanctions against Israel if it does not stop the operation in Rafah, following the orders of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. However, a consensus of all 27 member states is required for a vote on the discussion in the Council, and it is estimated that Israel's friends in the Union - including Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany - will thwart an attempt to impose sanctions on Israel, such as an attempt to examine the suspension of trade agreements with it.
Israel has already received Borrell's invitation letter and officials are currently examining it. One of the possibilities is that Israel will reject the invitation, and then the discussion will take place in her absence. The convening of the meeting will not take place immediately, but Borrell does want it to be held this month, under the rotating presidency of Belgium, a country critical of Israel. Israel will try to postpone the meeting until next month so the caretaker president is Hungary, which is more Israel-friendly.
Israeli officials are preparing for an attempt by critical countries to haze Israel at a meeting of the Association Council while expecting friendly countries to come to her aid. Against this background, Katz is expected to visit Hungary in two weeks, to discuss the expected moves in the EU. He also directed the Israeli embassies in Europe to prepare a diplomatic operation to stop any move against Israel in Europe.
During his first visit to Germany, Katz called for the release of all the hostages and revealed the "UNRWA file" to the international community at the Munich Security Conference.
Several countries have already announced that they will stop such a move in the Council, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Austria. Senior diplomats in Germany estimated that the meeting of the Association Council would actually be positive, as it would allow the rug to be pulled from under the feet of those who are calling for sanctions or the cancellation of the Association's diplomatic agreement with Israel.
Israeli officials said last night of the summons to the Association Council meeting: "This is a delusional move by Borrell, who leads the anti-Israel line in the European Union. This move will backfire on him, and will not pass."
Elections for the European Parliament are scheduled to be held this week, in which a significant strengthening of the right-wing parties is expected. As far as Israel is concerned, this is good news, which will give it room to maneuver.
2 View gallery
vForeign Minister Israel Katz called for the release of all hostages and revealed the "UNRWA file" to at the Munich Security Conference
(Photo: Boaz Arad)
The expected discussion will be held after, in February of this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkarcalled to examine the suspension of the association agreements between Israel and the European Union - if it turns out that Israel has violated its obligations to protect human rights in Gaza included in this agreement. Sanchez and the new prime minister in Ireland, Simon Harris, also recognized a Palestinian state last month - a move that was also joined by Norway and Slovenia.
The association agreement is the legal framework that defines the relations between Israel and the European Union, both in the fields of trade but also in political, social and cultural fields. The agreement was signed in 1995 and entered into force on June 1, 2000.
In the letter sent by Sanchez and Vardaker to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as to Borrell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, they called on the heads of the European Union to carry out an urgent review of the association agreement to examine whether Israel is meeting its obligations in the agreement, in relation to respecting human rights and democratic principles, in view of its actions in Gaza.
"We are very concerned about the deterioration of the situation in Israel and Gaza, especially the impact the ongoing conflict is having on innocent Palestinians, especially children and women. Israel's expanded military operation in the Rafah area constitutes a serious and immediate threat that the international community must urgently address," the letter said.
Meanwhile, more than 100 heads of European Jewish communities and directors of pro-Israel organizations who gathered in Amsterdam launched an attack against "the clear and repeated anti-Israel bias of the European Union's foreign minister, Josep Borrell, which has been a significant contributor to the current waves of antisemitism and the slander against the State of Israel among the European public."