LAST UPDATE | 14 Apr

A PETITION TO suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the legal basis for the EU’s trade relations with Israel, has reached the critical one million signatures mark.

Once a European citizens’ initiative, like the current petition, obtains at least one million valid signatures in at least seven EU countries, it can be submitted to the European Commission for examination.

When the threshold is met the organisers of the initiative can meet with the Commission to discuss their objectives. The Commission examines the proposal, then replies on actions it intends to take, if any.

The current petition, organised by Justice for Palestine, has 1,032,779 signatures. It proposes suspending the Association Agreement on the basis Israel has violated human rights in Palestine.

The petition states: “EU citizens cannot tolerate that the EU maintains an agreement that contributes to legitimize and finance a State that commits crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

“Therefore, we call on the Commission to put forward the proposal to the Council for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”

Fianna Faíl MEP Barry Andrews, who shared the petition on X, urged Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to take heed of the agreement, adding that it is “never wrong to do the right thing”.

“The speed with which this citizens initiative reached one million supporters shows the strength of feeling on this issue. And a lot more will sign it,” the Dublin MEP said.

“President von der Leyen must now listen and re-table a suspension of the Agreement to the EU Council.”

With reporting by Eoghan Dalton