EU will not suspend dialogue with Israel, Poland's Sikorski says

In speaking with reporters prior to a monthly meeting of foreign ministers, Borrell said, that it was important to pressure Israel.

By REUTERS, TOVAH LAZAROFF NOVEMBER 18, 2024 20:31

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell attends a press conference on the day of EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)

European Union foreign ministers did not agree on Monday to suspend political dialogue with Israel, Poland said, following a proposal to do so from the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.Borrell had written to EU foreign ministers ahead of Monday's meeting in Brussels, citing "serious concerns about possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza."Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels that he and counterparts from other EU states had not agreed to this proposal. "We know that there are tragic events in Gaza, huge civilian casualties, but we do not forget who started the current cycle of violence," Sikorski said."And I can tell you that there was no agreement on the idea of suspending negotiations with Israel."

Palestinians, including rescuers, search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City November 18, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)

The political dialogue is enshrined in a broader agreement on relations between the EU and Israel, including extensive trade ties, that entered into force in June 2000. A suspension would have needed approval from all 27 EU countries.

'The door should be kept open'

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp also spoke out against cutting off political dialogue. “This door should be kept open,” Veldkamp said as he proposed holding talks with Israel’s new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. He added that Borrel was also set to leave his position at the end of this year. 

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“Let's use those opportunities to get a dialog running because there's a lot to discuss, including the catastrophic humanitarian situation the Gaza Strip minister,” he said.In speaking with reporters prior to a monthly meeting of foreign ministers, Borrell said, that it was important to pressure Israel. For that reason, he said, he had made a number of proposals, including the one to cut political dialogue.The bloc has called on Hamas to release the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza and on both sides to respect international law. “Pressure also has to be applied to Hamas, to “release the hostages and to stop the war. This has not happened yet, and I don't see a hope for this to happen,” Borrell said.