EU invites Israeli foreign minister Katz to ‘ad hoc’ Association Council over Gaza

The EU invited on Wednesday (5 June) Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to attend an ‘ad-hoc’ EU-Israel Association Council to discuss the country’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the deal.

“Following last week’s agreement at the Foreign Affairs Council, I have sent out the invitation to FM [Katz],” the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell wrote on X, without giving further details.

EU foreign ministers last week decided to call for such a meeting under the EU-Israel cooperation agreement to discuss the situation in Gaza and assess whether Tel Aviv is complying with human rights obligations under its trade agreement with the bloc, amid a growing humanitarian crisis created by Israel’s offensive on Gaza.

While the EU has spoken of consensus, at least two EU countries had expressed reservations over the step, several EU diplomats confirmed.

Some diplomats admitted that in the “heat of the moment” and the “need for speed of the discussion” due to time constraints, it was far less conclusive than communicated.

This month’s decision came after Spain and Ireland issued earlier this year a first joint call seeking an “urgent review” of the deal, citing concerns over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and potential violations.

Until Wednesday, it was unclear whether such a meeting could even take place as according to diplomatic protocol it needs to be called in agreement with the Israeli side, including on the date and location.

EU officials said they believe the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to drag out a response to the invitation for the foreign ministers ‘earliest convenience’ and unlikely to commit to a meeting.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib has said she hoped the Association Council could be held “within one month,” still during the country’s rotating EU presidency, which ends on 30 June.

However, while Ireland, Belgium, and Spain have been pushing for pressure on Israel through trade sanctions, very few other EU countries expressed willingness to actually consider reviewing the bloc’s trade ties with Israel.

Ireland’s Trade Minister Peter Burke reaffirmed last week his country’s calls to re-open the EU’s deal with Israel.

But amid some calls for economic sanctions in view of the worsening humanitarian toll of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, there is so far only limited appetite among EU member states to move towards concrete measures.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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