Israel blasts EU sanctions plan, vows retaliation

ISTANBUL

Israel on Wednesday lambasted the European Commission’s proposed sanctions plan against Israel, calling it “morally and politically distorted,” and threatening to strike back if the measures were implemented.

“Actions against Israel will harm the interests of Europe itself,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on US social media company X.

He said that Israel “will continue to fight, with the help of its friends in Europe, against attempts to harm it.”

“Steps against Israel will be answered in kind, and we hope they will not be necessary,” Saar threatened.

His remarks came after the European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a move the commission said could affect about €5.8 billion ($6.87 billion) of Israeli exports tied to the pact, as part of a sanctions package over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The proposal, however, still lacks the unanimous backing of EU member states required to take effect.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has also proposed targeted sanctions against two Israeli ministers and settler figures accused of violence against Palestinians.

Israeli daily Maariv said Tuesday that suspending elements of the 1995 Association Agreement, long the backbone of Israel-EU trade, could destabilise Israel’s economy.

It noted that total trade between Israel and the EU reached $47.4 billion in 2024, including about $30.7 billion in imports and $16.7 billion in exports.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory confirmed that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.