EU Parliament to Debate Suspending Israel Partnership Deal After Million Signatures

The European Commission will examine a petition calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Partnership Agreement after it surpassed one million signatures, with over 1.1 million European citizens endorsing the initiative. This development opens the door for an official debate on the future of relations between the EU and Israel, according to Politico. The Commission announced on Thursday that it will convene with the petition's organizers in the coming weeks to discuss their demands, followed by a public debate in the European Parliament.

The petition, launched approximately two years ago by the "European Left Alliance," which comprises 11 leftist parties in Europe, urges the EU to halt trade and political dialogue with Israel. Organizers accuse Israel of failing to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip.

While the petition has garnered significant support, its review by the Commission does not guarantee that the EU will alter its policy toward Israel or suspend the partnership agreement. The petition's success in reaching over a million signatures is notable, as only 14 out of 136 registered European Citizens' Initiatives have achieved this threshold in over a decade. The European Citizens' Initiative mechanism allows citizens to propose issues for official debate by the Commission, provided at least one million signatures are collected from citizens in at least seven member states.

France leads the list of signatories with approximately 339,000 signatures, followed by Italy with about 284,000, and Spain with around 152,000. The European Commission is expected to publish its response to the initiative by May 2027, outlining any intended actions.

The EU-Israel Partnership Agreement, signed in 1995 and effective since 2000, governs trade and political dialogue. It holds significant economic importance for Israel, as the EU is its largest trading partner, accounting for about 33% of Israel's global goods trade in 2025. The petition's review occurs amidst heightened tensions between Israel and several European nations due to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, with growing European calls for a tougher stance on Israeli policy.