European leaders delay action to suspend trade with Israel
EUROPEAN LEADERS HAVE delayed taking any action to suspend trade with Israel following a review of the agreement this week, which found that the country had breached its human rights obligations included in the deal.
EU leaders have been meeting in Brussels today to discuss tariffs, the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. It was expected that leaders would postpone taking action, as there is not a consensus among European governments on Israel's war in Gaza.
Following debates at the European Council today, the leaders concluded that the council will continue to discuss the issue at a follow-up meeting next month.
Its conclusion read: 'The European Council takes note of the report on Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and invites the Council to continue discussions on a follow-up, as appropriate, in July 2025, taking into account the evolution of the situation on the ground.'
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and a number of other countries have been calling for concrete action to be taken in respect of the review's findings, which noted that Israel had not fulfil human rights obligations with its war in Gaza and actions in the West Bank.
Speaking earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin
said he would be seeking to put pressure on the Council to take action
.
Advertisement
Martin said: 'I will be saying to my European colleagues that the people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seek to be in a position to put pressure on Israel and leverage on Israel to stop this war in Gaza, to stop the continuing slaughter of children and innocent civilians.
'The war must stop. There must be a humanitarian response and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, an end to the blockade.
'I understand there are historical reasons why some member states have a particular perspective on this, in terms of the Middle East issue, but from a humanitarian perspective, it is incomprehensible what is going on, what continues to go on.
'Europe needs to really articulate that in the strongest possible way, and we will be seeking to pursue mechanisms to entire that this war stops, and that humanitarian aid gets into Gaza.'
A third of Israel's imports come from the EU, valued at over €23bn annually, while Europe imports less than 1% of its goods from Israel.
Suspending trade ties would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible as countries like Austria, Germany and Hungary, that tend to more supportive of Israel's government.
The EU has started to engage with Israel's government to outline the recent review's findings. Ireland was among ten member states who requested that a review take place in the context of the EU's compliance with the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
The non-binding advisory opinion found that 'Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and needs to be brought to an end as rapidly as possible'.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
British ambassador to leave diplomatic service after ‘falling in love with Dublin'
Mr Johnston was due to return to London in September after five years in Ireland during which he played a key role in rebuilding Anglo-Irish relations in the post-Brexit era. However, the Scottish native told invitees at his annual garden party tonight that he plans to leave the diplomatic service after falling in love with Ireland. The Irish Independent understands he will take up a role in the education sector later this year. Mr Johnston (57) moved to Dublin, along with his wife Nicola, in September 2020. He has regularly spoken about enjoying the posting despite arriving at a difficult time for political relations and in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Several hundred guests attended a party to mark King Charles's birthday at the ambassador's residence in Glencairn, south Dublin where he made the surprise announcement. Among the crowd were EU Commissioner Michael McGrath, Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman, former tánaistí Frances Fitzgerald and Mary Harney, RTÉ presenters Claire Byrne and Oliver Callan, and architect Dermot Bannon. Mr Johnson said he had 'a little bit of news' and explained that he had 'fallen in love' with Dublin. He added that 'people are the lights of every city'. 'That's very much what it's felt like for Nicola and me in Ireland. The people we've met have been the highlight of our time here. 'And it's primarily because of the people that we've met that we've taken quite a big decision.' The diplomat has worked with the UK public service for 35 years. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
EU to use network of fact-checkers against disinformation that threatens democracy, says Michael McGrath
The European Commissioner responsible for justice, Michael McGrath , has warned of 'creeping authoritarianism' in Europe and the undermining of judicial independence. He said the concern was not sudden coups or dramatic power grabs, but rather a slow process that can lead to a concentration of power in the hands of a few. 'This erosion often proceeds quietly through a systematic dismantling of safeguards designed to protect our rights and freedoms, such as changes to legal and constitutional frameworks, manipulation of electoral processes and the weakening, or indeed silencing, of an independent media,' he said. 'Closely aligned to such development is the undermining of judicial independence.' READ MORE Mr McGrath, commissioner for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection, was speaking at a seminar on emerging threats to democracy at the Law Society of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday. He said that in the absence of independent judges, laws were subject to 'the whims of those in power'. Citizens in Europe, he said, felt disconnected from the democratic processes that had shaped their lives. 'This disconnection can lead to apathy, and worse, create space for harmful ideologies to take hold,' he said. The European Union had an important role in making its politics simpler and more accessible and that included protecting societies against disinformation, he said. A European 'democracy shield', which he is developing, would help in protecting institutions and freedoms of expression while tackling disinformation. 'Ultimately, we must ensure that voters have access to facts, not fiction when making the decisions that shape our future.' A network of fact-checkers would be part of this approach and would help 'pre-bunk and debunk' manipulated information, he said, while upholding the fairness and integrity of elections. 'Users of online platforms should be clearly informed when algorithms are being used to promote political content, especially when these algorithms are driven by personal data or target individuals based on their characteristics,' he told delegates at the conference. 'They also have a right to know whether political content is sponsored or paid for and by whom. 'The effective enforcement, therefore, of the Digital Services Act and the regulation on political advertising, will be essential to achieving this transparency.' The European Commission has launched several infringement proceedings in recent years, and Mr McGrath cited the case to protect Polish judges from threats to their independence. 'The EU stands as a beacon for democracy and the rule of law,' he said. 'People look to us to set the standard and to promote and defend democratic values wherever they are under threat and so in a world facing the rise of authoritarian regimes and political instability the leadership of the European Union has never mattered more.'
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Dublin will get a new Lord Mayor next week and it's set to be a Fine Gael councillor
DUBLIN COUNCILLORS WILL elect a new Lord Mayor at next week's Council meeting and a Fine Gael councillor is set to take on the role. The Lord Mayor is elected to the office annually by members of Dublin City Council. New Lord Mayors are appointed each June, though elections are sometimes needed at other points of the year. For example, outgoing Lord Mayor Emma Blain was elected on 18 December and succeeded former councillor James Geoghegan, who became a TD for Dublin Bay South in the 2024 General Election. Current Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain At Monday evening's Annual Council meeting, Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam is set to be elected to succeed his party colleague Emma Blain. If elected, McAdam will become the 358 th Lord Mayor of Dublin. McAdam, who has acted as a Parliamentary Assistant to Paschal Donohoe, is a North Inner City councillor and was first elected in 2009. He has been re-elected at subsequent Local Elections in 2014, 2019 and again in 2024. In addition to the support of his Fine Gael party, McAdam can also rely on the backing of Fianna Fáil, Labour and the Greens. This is because Dublin City councillors from these parties entered into a political agreement last year, which is set to run until 2029. The position of Lord Mayor is set to be rotated among these parties as part of the agreement. Advertisement There are 63 councillors within Dublin City Council and 31 councillors belong to this pact. Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In a statement to The Journal , McAdam confirmed that he will be nominated by this grouping at Monday's Council meeting. Sinn Féin has nine councillors elected to Dublin City Council and will nominate Councillor Kourtney Kenny as their candidate. Sinn Féin is part of a newly-formed 'Progressive Alliance' which includes the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and independent councillors Pat Dunne, Cieran Perry, and John Lyons. This alliance contains 24 councillors and will support Kenny's bid. Kourtney Kenny Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Kenny has appealed to Green Party and Labour Party councillors to support her candidacy and added: 'Their ongoing support for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in Dublin City Council is both opportunistic and hypocritical. 'They cannot keep speaking out of both sides of their mouths, challenging the government in Leinster House and supporting them on Dublin City Council.' The Lord Mayor presides at meetings of the City Council, signs its records of proceedings and represents the city at public events. They also act as an ambassador for the city both locally and internationally and they usually live in the official residence on Dawson Street, the Mansion House, during their term. The position is a largely ceremonial role and they serve a term of just one year. This was not always the case however and Alfie Byrne was Lord Mayor of Dublin for nine consecutive years from 1931 to 1938. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
