Open letter to the federal government: on July 15, make an unequivocal choice for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement
Jul 07 2025
5 minutes
This open letter appeared on July 8 in De Morgen and Le Soir
Dear Prime Minister,
Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Dear Deputy Prime Ministers,
In Palestine, all red lines have long been crossed. Belgium and the European Union must take concrete measures to draw a clear red line against the massive violations of international law by Israel.
During the Foreign Affairs Council of 20 May, Belgium spoke out in favour of an investigation into Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the Association Agreement. The results of this investigation have been leaked to the press and are clear: Israel is violating international law on a massive scale by imposing an illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip, killing civilians indiscriminately, attacking hospitals and health infrastructure, forcibly displacing the population and attacking journalists. In the West Bank, the expansion of Israeli settlements and the associated violence against settlers, as well as the policy of mass detention, accompanied by inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, are other gross violations of international humanitarian law and human rights by Israel.
Given these clear conclusions, there is only one possible response: the EU must suspend its Association Agreement with Israel.
The results of the Foreign Affairs Council of 23 June are unacceptable. The High Representative announced that she would present the results of the evaluation to Israel. She stated that the debate on this issue has only just begun.
Given the urgency of the situation, it is no longer acceptable to limit ourselves to a dialogue with Israel. The EU-Israel Association Council, which took place on 24 February 2025, demonstrated the limits of this dialogue. Israel failed to respond to the points raised by the EU at that meeting (ceasefire, respect for international law, protection of the civilian population, humanitarian access, halt to settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, etc.). On the contrary, Israel has since done exactly the opposite of what the European Union asked for, including by imposing a total blockade on 2 March 2025 and unilaterally breaking the ceasefire on 18 March 2025. The main lesson of the EU-Israel Association Council is therefore clear: only concrete measures, such as the suspension of the Association Agreement, can force Israel to respect international law.
The next EU Foreign Affairs Council will take place on 15 July 2025. We call on the federal government to defend the suspension of the Association Agreement there and to convince the other Member States of this.
Even if the qualified majority required to suspend the trade part of the Association Agreement could not be reached, Belgium cannot stand idly by.
Belgium is itself responsible for complying with its obligations under international law, which are not diminished by its membership of the European Union or by the internal voting procedures of the EU institutions. These obligations stipulate that Belgium must make every effort not to contribute to serious violations of international law by Israel, including the illegal occupation and colonisation of Palestinian territory. As numerous international lawyers, including the Belgian Society for International Law, have stressed, continued inaction would also expose the Belgian state to legal liability.
If Belgium were to decide to act on its obligations under international law despite the EU’s paralysis, it would not be alone. Several EU member states have already indicated that they are prepared to act independently of European consensus. For example, Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Harris announced that Ireland would introduce a national ban on products from Israeli settlements, in the hope that other countries would follow suit.
The organisations listed below welcome the Belgian initiative to ask High Representative Kallas in a letter to align the EU’s trade policy with its international legal obligations, as set out in the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (19 July 2024). However, this initiative must lead to concrete results in the short term. And in addition to this action at European level, Belgium itself must comply with the advice of the International Court of Justice by introducing a national ban on trade with Israeli settlements, which is a minimum obligation that flows from it.
On June 110.000, 15, 2025 Belgians took to the streets of Brussels to denounce the genocide in Gaza, the large-scale ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the lack of decisive international action.
Today, in addition to the Palestinian people, international law is also at risk. Belgium has the duty today to clearly confirm this framework, not only to protect the Palestinians, but also to protect us, Belgian citizens. A world without red lines is a dangerous world for everyone.
Signatories
- Arnaud Zacharie, General Secretary CNCD-11.11.11
- Els Hertogen, General Manager 11.11.11
- Axelle Fisher, general secretary Entraide & Fraternité
- Pierre Galand, chairman of Association Belgo-Palestinienne
- Dear Herijgers, director of Broederlijk Delen
- Veronique Wemaere, director of ONG Solsoc
- Thierry Bodson, chairman of the ABVV
- Bert Engelaar, General Secretary ABVV
- Eitan Bronstein, director of De-Colonizer
- Monia Gandibleux, General Coordinator Ambassadors
- Sarah de Liamchine, co-director Mouvement Présence et Action Culturelles
- Fanny Polet, director of Viva Salud
- Carmen Claessen, spokesperson Antwerp for Palestine
- Annuschka Vandewalle, Secretary General FOS
- Louay Odeh, board member Beitna
- Orry Van de Wauwer, director of Pax Christi Flanders,
- Marie-Helène Ska, Secretary General of the ACV
- Ann Vermorgen, chair of ACV
- Mohamed Iqtifan, Secretary Gaza Group - GCDG
- Werner Van Heetvelde, chairman of the General Central-ABVV
- Henri Goldman, board member of the Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique
- Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson for Vrede vzw
- Ansje Vanbeselaere, chairwoman Intal
- Myriam Vandecan, Chair of Palestine Solidarity
- Claire Delstanche, co-coordinator of DiEM25 Belgium
- Louma Albik, director SB Overseas
- Nozomi Takahashi, Chairman BA4P/BACBI
- Julie Hendrickx Devos, General Chair of Beweging.net
- Ariane Estenne, Chair of MOC
- Lichen Ullmann, Peace Action Coordinator
- Eva Smets, director Oxfam Belgium
- Luc Van Haute, General Manager Caritas International
- Carine Thibaut, director of Amnesty Belgique francophone
- Wies De Graeve, director Amnesty International Flanders
