Proposal to suspend EU trade agreement with Israel shelved: Italy

The Italian foreign minister said Tuesday that a proposal to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement has been shelved, adding that EU members will discuss alternatives next month.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Antonio Tajani said the proposal to suspend the trade agreement with Israel over Gaza has been definitively shelved.

“Other possible initiatives will be discussed at the next ministerial meeting on May 11, and we will evaluate them,” he was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA.

Recalling that his country has recently suspended the automatic confirmation of the defense memorandum with Israel, he noted that Italy is applying pressure.

However, he added: “It must be the government, not the civilian population.”

“We have a different position from Spain, because theirs doesn’t seem like the right path to take. Our position is identical to Germany’s,” said the foreign minister.

It came as European countries were divided over trade ties with Israel, as Spain and Ireland pushed for the suspension, while some other countries, including Germany, had expressed opposition to the idea.