New Pressure from Europe to Prevent Israeli Annexation

Turning up the pressure on Israel to prevent it from following through on plans to annex territory conquered in the 1967 war that the Palestinians claim for a state, 11 foreign ministers from European Union member states sent a letter to the EU foreign policy chief demanding that specific responses to annexation be drawn up. The letter called for “an overview of EU-Israel relations, an analysis of the legal consequences of annexation, as well as a list of possible actions in response to it, including the automatic triggers of all EU-IL [Israel] agreements and the respective responsibilities of the commission.” Some sanctions would require unanimity on the part of all 27 member states while others would not. Either way, being on the receiving end of sanctions would be a major public image defeat for the Jewish state. The signatories contend that Israel’s proposed actions violate international law, a position that Israel denies.