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'Shame!': Germany, Italy Block Effort to Suspend EU-Israel Trade Pact Over Gaza Genocide, West Bank Attacks
“The European Union can no longer remain on the sidelines,” said three foreign ministers who called for a suspension of the deal.
Apr 21, 2026
Calls have steadily intensified in recent weeks for the European Union to suspend a trade agreement with Israel as the country's right-wing government has ignored growing condemnation over its anti-Palestinian policies and its assaults on Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon—but on Tuesday, German and Italian officials blocked an effort to pause the trade deal, with Germany's foreign minister saying the move would be "inappropriate."
The foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, suggested that world governments have not yet appealed enough to Israel in an attempt to stop it from attacking civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and Gaza; backing settlers who wage violence on Palestinians as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government seeks to illegally annex the territory; and passing a death penalty law that makes death by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.
“We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues,” Wadephul said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, which was called by his counterparts from Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain. “That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added that "no decision will be taken today" and said that "other possible initiatives will be discussed at the next ministerial meeting on May 11."
Critics, however, blasted the decision.
Erika Guevara-Rosas, a senior director for Amnesty International, called the move by Italy and Germany "a moral failure" that "illustrates brazen contempt for civilian lives" in Gaza, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and in Lebanon.
Failure to act in the face of Israel's repeated and ongoing atrocities, said Guevara-Rosas, "will be remembered as another shameful chapter in one of the most disgraceful moments in the EU’s history."
The Irish, Spanish, and Slovenian officials wrote to EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas last week, saying that Israel has breached Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which stipulates that "relations between the parties, as well as all the provisions of the agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles."
A European Commission review last year found "indications" that Israel is breaching its human rights obligations under the 1995 agreement.
The death penalty law, said the foreign ministers, is a "grave violation of fundamental human rights," while settlers and Israel Defense Forces soldiers act "with absolute impunity" in the West Bank.
“The European Union can no longer remain on the sidelines,” they said.
Ahead of Tuesday's meeting in Luxembourg, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on every European country "to uphold what the International Court of Justice and the UN say on human rights and the defense of international law" and that failing to do so regarding Israel "would be a defeat for the European Union."
Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee called on the EU to "move in unison" to pressure Israel to meet its human rights obligations. Suspending the trade agreement requires unanimous support from the bloc's 27 member countries.
McEntee said that she was urging "all of our colleagues today to support our call for the suspension of the overall agreement but, at the very least, if we can't reach that full agreement, that we would have suspension of the overall trade elements of it."
"Where the EU moves together, we have a greater impact."
📽️Watch Minister @HMcEntee's remarks ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. pic.twitter.com/c5w9S4qdQp
— Ireland In The EU (@IrelandInEU) April 21, 2026
But Germany and Italy's refusal to back the suspension of the agreement, said Irish author Andrew Madden, suggested "a preference for the ongoing slaughter of innocent people" over angering Israel.
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Amnesty Urges Halt to EU-Israel Trade Agreement After Italy Suspends Defense Deal
"Now we need consistency," said a group spokesperson. "The Italian government must support the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement—a demand backed by over 1 million European citizens."
Apr 15, 2026
Amnesty International on Wednesday welcomed the Italian government's suspension of a military cooperation agreement with Israel over its recent attacks on Lebanon and urged Italy to back similar action on a European Union deal.
"Israel continues to act in defiance of international law and human rights: The genocide in the Gaza Strip is ongoing, the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank proceeds alongside an unprecedented escalation of violence, and attacks and mass displacement in Lebanon continue," said Riccardo Noury, a spokesperson for Amnesty International Italy, in a statement.
"Any military cooperation between the Italian government and Israel risks making Italy complicit in violations of international humanitarian law and crimes under international law," the spokesperson warned. Israel faces an International Court of Justice case over the Gaza genocide, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Noury declared that "now we need consistency. The Italian government must support the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement—a demand backed by over 1 million European citizens who have signed the European Citizens' Initiative in just three months."
Earlier this month, Amnesty and 30 other organizations jointly called for that action from the bloc over "the Israeli Knesset's decision to approve a bill that makes death penalty effectively mandatory in the West Bank and which will de facto apply exclusively to Palestinians."
"The European Union must uphold its stated principles and legal obligations by finally suspending, as a minimum immediate measure, the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and adopting other measures," the coalition argued.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez—who has stood up against the US-Israeli war on Iran—notably called for suspending the EU deal last week, as "Netanyahu launches his harshest attack against Lebanon since the offensive began."
Noury said Wednesday that "the time has come for states to move beyond mere expressions of regret or dismay. They must take decisive action to pressure Israel to end its genocide in Gaza and the systematic violation of human rights across the occupied Palestinian territory and neighboring countries."
As Common Dreams reported, Italy's right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced the suspension of the bilateral deal amid mounting public pressure, with polls showing that large majorities of Italians believe Israeli forces' actions in Gaza constitute genocide and want their country to cut ties with Israel.
Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza last October, two years after launching a devastating assault over a Hamas-led attack, but Israeli forces have continued to slaughter Palestinians there and restrict the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Nearly a year before the Gaza agreement, Israel had reached a ceasefire deal with Lebanon—home to the political and militant group Hezbollah, which supported Palestinians under assault by Israeli forces. However, after the US and Israel launched an illegal war on Iran in February, Israel stepped up its attacks on Lebanon.
Despite an ongoing two-week ceasefire agreed to by the United States, Israel, and Iran, Israeli forces have intensified their assault on Lebanon, leading critics to suggest that the Netanyahu government is "acting to undermine a diplomatic process over which it had lost influence" and "blow up" the fragile agreement—which negotiators stress includes Lebanon.
After Israeli airstrikes killed or wounded more than 1,400 people in Lebanon—many of them civilians—last Wednesday, Amnesty International's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, reiterated the urgent need for "Israel to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are protected."
"Israel has an appalling track record of carrying out unlawful attacks in Lebanon and displaying a callous disregard for civilian life, fueled by the impunity Israeli officials feel they enjoy," Morayef said. "These attacks are a reminder that states must immediately halt the transfer of arms and weapons to Israel, given the overriding risk that they will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law."
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Italy Suspends Defense Agreement With Israel Amid Mounting Public Pressure to Cut Ties
Millions of Italians have taken to the streets in support of Palestinians and around 3 in 4 say Israel committed a genocide in Gaza.
Apr 14, 2026
The Italian government has suspended a military cooperation agreement with Israel in response to its attacks against Lebanon in recent weeks, which have killed hundreds of people.
Italy's right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending an agreement with Israel that dates back to 2003 and involved cooperation between the two countries, which traded military equipment and shared technical data.
“In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel,” Meloni said on Tuesday.
It marks a dramatic shift in policy for Italy's government, which has until recently been one of Israel's closest allies in Europe. Amid the genocide in Gaza, Meloni has faced pressure both from opposition parties and from the public to cut ties with Israel for more than a year.
The relationship appears to have finally frayed with the events of the past several weeks, when Israel launched an invasion of Lebanon that has involved the displacement of more than 1 million people, the razing of entire villages, and the aggressive bombing of civilian areas.
Tension between the two countries hit a boiling point over the past week, when the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at Italian UN peacekeepers, which caused damage to a vehicle but resulted in no injuries.
Italy was also among several European countries that called for Lebanon's inclusion in last week's ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. Meloni accused Israel of "disrespecting" the two-week truce when it launched the most devastating attack yet on Lebanon the day after the ceasefire was reached, which killed and wounded more than 1,400 people, including many civilians.
Though Meloni has been an ideological ally of US President Donald Trump, she has grown increasingly critical of the American president. On Monday, she condemned what she called "unacceptable" insults from Trump against Pope Leo XIV, who criticized the war in Iran.
Trump responded with his own shots at Meloni: “I thought she had courage. I was wrong," he said.
Meloni is also facing mounting pressure from her own people over Italy's relationship with Israel, which could loom large as she faces reelection in 2027.
Nearly 3 out of 4 Italians said in a September survey that they believe Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a genocide, and 59% said they wanted Italy to cut ties with Israel. During the fall, millions of Italians took to the streets to rally in solidarity with Palestinians and support the Global Sumud Flotilla as it carried humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza.
This anger has been seized on by the opposition. Last week, during a heated exchange, the Parliament erupted in applause after opposition lawmaker Angelo Bonelli took Meloni to task for "failing" to condemn or distance herself from Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"You are stubbornly short-sighted and fail to grasp where the world is heading," Bonelli said. "A world where the logic of war is dictated by two criminals."
Responding to Israel's attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, Bonelli asked the prime minister: "200 people were killed as if it were nothing. What is your response? What are you doing? Do you have the courage to take action?"
Riccardo Magi, a member of the center-left opposition party More Europe, wrote on social media that by suspending Italy's defense agreement with Israel, Meloni had "finally realized that something is happening in the Middle East."
"After years of massacres by Israel against Palestinian civilians, in which our government simply decided to look the other way, today Meloni has suddenly decided to suspend the memorandum between Italy and Israel, as the opposition has been demanding for a long time," he said.
However, he cautioned that the decision was "not about a renewed humanitarian spirit on the part of our government," but rather "pure electoral convenience."
"It is not enough for us, and we believe sanctions are necessary against Netanyahu and his ministers, including a ban on entry into the territory of the union," he said. "The illegal occupation of Gaza, together with the wars provoked in the area without any consideration for the lives of civilians, is now a point of no return. Israel must stop."
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