Belgian MP urges EU to suspend agreement with Israel
Brussels (ANTARA) - A Belgian member of parliament, Yvan Verougstraete, said on Thursday that the conditions for suspending the European Union-Israel Association Agreement have been met, due to concerns over Israel’s illegal settlements and the presence of related products in the European market.
Verougstraete, a member of the European Parliament and president of the Belgian party Les Engages, stated that violations related to settlements, combined with questionable commercial practices, provide sufficient grounds to reconsider the agreement.
His statement comes after Israel reportedly authorised the construction of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, which he described as illegal under international law.
“The conditions for suspending the European Union-Israel Agreement have been met,” he said in a statement sent to the media, including Anadolu.
The European Union-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, includes a human rights clause stating that relations between the parties are based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.
Verougstraete said the circulation of products originating from Israeli settlements in the EU market raises legal and ethical concerns.
“In this context, seeing products from those settlements entering the European market is completely unacceptable. This raises major concerns in terms of law, commerce, and ethics,” he said, arguing that such trade economically contributes to the expansion of settlements.
The Belgian MP urged the European Union to ensure consistency between its legal position and its trade practices.
“The European Union must not indirectly contribute to the maintenance and development of a situation that is illegal under international law,” he said.
Verougstraete stated that he has raised the issue with the European Commission, along with other European Parliament members, Ana Miranda Paz and Cecilia Strada.
He urged the commission to “take responsibility” and consider activating the mechanisms in the agreement.
“Europe cannot condemn the illegality of settlements on one hand and continue to accept their products on the other. Consistency is not an option, but an obligation,” he emphasised.
Violence by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank has increased since the Gaza war in October 2023, killing more than 1,148 Palestinians, injuring 11,750, and leading to 22,000 arrests.
In a landmark ruling in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Source: Anadolu