Germany and Italy leave EU sanctions against Israel up in the air

Brussels / MadridThe approval of EU sanctions against Israel is not expected to be easy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced last week the package of restrictions and pledged to approve a partial suspension of the EU's association agreement with Israel and the blacklisting of two of the "most radical" ministers in Netanyahu's government from the EU blog. However, these are measures that require the approval of the Member States, and several countries, such as Germany and Italy, have already shown reluctance, to the point that they may block the imposition of sanctions promoted by Brussels.

"We will make a decision on the restrictions proposed by the European Union next week in Berlin. We will deliberate within the federal government and then decide on the German position, which we will approve unanimously on October 1," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a press conference on Wednesday. Sánchez made it clear that his government "stands with Israel, which does not mean that we share all the decisions it [the Israeli government] has made," he stated.

The most controversial restriction proposed by Brussels is the partial suspension of the EU's association agreement with Israel, although it is limited to the imposition of tariffs on Israeli products worth a total of €227 million per year. This measure requires the support of a qualified majority of member states. Therefore, the opposition of two countries as large and influential as Germany and Italy could defeat it. Furthermore, the Czech Republic has already stated its opposition, and other states with very pro-Zionist positions, such as Hungary and Austria, have always opposed any pressure measure against Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

"We have no formed opinion on the [EU's] sanctions plans against Israel," said German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius. In fact, although Von der Leyen is German and a member of the Merz party, her announcement caught her party by surprise, and more than half of German Christian Democrat MEPs voted against her proposal. This is an unusual situation in Brussels, as it's difficult for Von der Leyen to make any move without the support of Berlin and other major capitals.

As for Italy, the position is similar. Giorgia Meloni's government has always been reluctant to sanction Netanyahu, and for the moment, its position has not changed either. "We could support some sanctions, but not others," said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. In fact, according to Italian media, Rome is against the suspension of the agreement, but is more open to accepting other gestures of diplomatic pressure against Tel Aviv, such as restrictions on Israeli ministers. However, this is a measure that must be unanimously approved by the member states, which greatly complicates its processing. Therefore, even if Italy, or even Germany, were to ultimately give its approval, it would have to be convinced and drawn towards the Yeah to even more pro-Zionist member states, such as the Czech Republic or Viktor Orbán's Hungary.

The most pro-Palestinian and most pro-Israeli leaders face off.

The day after Brussels proposed the sanctions package against Israel that divides the European Union states, leaders representing the two sides within the European bloc met in Madrid. On the one hand, Pedro Sánchez is one of the most forceful voices against Netanyahu; on the other, Friedrich Merz is one of the most accommodating leaders with Tel Aviv.

At a press conference, the Spanish president did not hesitate to defend his position and even emphasized to Merz that "as a country [Spain] that has suffered from terrorism for a long time, different types of terrorism, we know how to defeat it, and it is not defeated the way Israel does with the Palestinian people," he stated.

"We must be clear, we think differently," Merz acknowledged from the Moncloa Palace. One of the most evident differences is the way both governments refer to Israel's offensive in Gaza. While Pedro Sánchez speaks openly of "genocide," Merz avoids it. "We have not entered into a debate about how to describe what is happening," the Spanish president acknowledged. Furthermore, for now, Germany is not considering recognizing a Palestinian state.

However, both governments have shifted toward more pro-Palestinian positions. Sánchez has announced a broad package of sanctions, and Merz has adopted a partial embargo on the arms that Germany delivers to Israel and has increasingly expressed criticism of the offensive on Gaza. "What is important and decisive is that for the Spanish and German governments, despite having disagreements about the paths to follow, the objective [of peace] is shared," Sánchez argued.