Europeupdated 28m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 8 August 2020European Commission Studies “Justice for Palestine” Initiative After 1.1 Million Signatures
7 West Asian1 Latin American1 OtherPhoto: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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European Commission will study suspending the EU–Israel Partnership after receiving over one million signatures. Signatures verified and delivered to Brussels; formal response due by May 2027.
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EU Commission to study
The European Commission said on Thursday that it intends to study a popular initiative calling for a suspension of the EU-Israel Partnership Agreement after the initiative surpassed the required threshold of signatories in 12 EU member states. The European Citizens’ Initiative for “Justice for Palestine” opened the door for a review after it reached more than 1.1 million verified signatures, and the Commission said it must begin studying a compliant initiative after receipt and respond within six months. The initiative’s organizers said the case for suspending the partnership rests on Israel’s breach of Article 2, which the initiative text describes as an obligation to respect human rights and democratic principles.
The initiative organizers urged the Commission to submit a proposal to the European Council calling for a full suspension of the agreement, while the Commission said its formal response will be issued by May 12, 2027. The Commission also said it would meet with the initiative’s representatives in the coming weeks to discuss the demands in detail, after which the European Parliament will hold a public hearing on the matter.
Signatories, names, and claims
Campaign representatives “Justice for Palestine” gathered in the Schuman Square in Brussels and handed the Commission the signatures collected under the European Citizens’ Initiative. Manon Aubry, a French Member of the European Parliament, told the handover that the Commission has six months to respond to the initiative, and she said, “But we all know that one day, one week, or one month is a very long time for those suffering across Palestine and Lebanon due to the war and the genocide led by Benjamin Netanyahu.” The European Commission stated that the initiative reached the required minimum support in 12 EU member states and said it is the 15th initiative meeting the necessary criteria to be studied by the Commission.
The initiative organizers said the partnership grants Israel trade privileges and that the initiative calls for suspension “in full” due to the “genocide” in Gaza, the occupation and the apartheid they attributed to Israel. The organizers also said the initiative is backed by the European Left Alliance for Peoples and the Planet, and the event included Podemos MEP Isa Serra asking that Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump be judged.
What could change next
The Commission said it will deliver its official response by May 12, 2027, and the response will outline the steps it intends to take or the reasons for not taking any action. The initiative text said EU citizens cannot allow the Union to remain in an agreement that contributes to legitimizing a state that commits crimes against humanity and war crimes and provides it with the necessary funding for that. The initiative also argued that Israel’s non-compliance with Article 2 allows the EU to discharge its obligations, and it called for a suspension of the EU-Israel Partnership Agreement rather than only trade facilitation.
The sources described the EU-Israel Association Agreement as signed in 1995 and in force since 2000, and they said it is the main legal and political framework governing relations between the two sides. The sources also said the initiative does not automatically suspend the agreement, because any implementing step remains contingent on legal and institutional procedures and the positions of the member states.