Sweden, Netherlands Call on EU to Cut Trade Ties with Israel

August 29, 2025 | 01:04 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sweden and the Netherlands jointly urged the European Union to suspend trade with Israel. As reported by Anadolu, this call was made due to the "extremely disturbing and intolerable" humanitarian situation in Gaza, as well as Israel's plan to build new settlements in the West Bank.

In a joint letter to the EU's Chief Foreign Policy Officer, Kaja Kallas, obtained by Irish media RTE News, the two countries also accused Israel of failing to implement an agreement with the EU in July to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The agreement in July between Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar prevented various sanctions against Tel Aviv, including the suspension of trade cooperation under the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel.

Foreign Ministers of the Netherlands and Sweden, Ruben Brekelmans from the Netherlands and Maria Malmer Stenergard from Sweden, stated in their joint letter that they "support the suspension of the trade chapter of the EU-Israel Association agreement and call upon the [European] Commission to put forward a proposal to this end."

They also called for sanctions against "extremist Israeli ministers who promote illegal settlement activities, and actively work against a negotiated two-state solution."

Brekelmans and Stenergard urged Kallas to provide a written analysis of the EU's compliance with the International Court of Justice opinion in 2024 regarding Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

However, the letter also emphasized the role of Hamas, which they referred to as "bears a heavy responsibility for the catastrophic situation" in Gaza, and called on Hamas to relinquish power, disarm, and release Israeli hostages.

The two Foreign Ministers also described the approval of the E1 Development Plan by the Israeli Supreme Planning Council, which would expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, as a clear violation of international law.

"Such an unacceptable and clear violation of international law of the contiguity of the future Palestinian State," they wrote in their joint letter to Kallas.

EU foreign ministers, including Irish Foreign Minister Tanaiste Simon Harris, will hold an informal meeting in Copenhagen under the leadership of Denmark on Friday, August 29, 2025.

Harris stated that the credibility of the EU is at stake if no action is taken against Israel for its "genocidal activities" in Gaza.

"I’ll be taking a very clear message on behalf of the people of Ireland to Copenhagen: 'We want to see clear, concrete action against Israel'," he said. "Words of condemnation are not enough. We cannot ignore the fact that there are now children in so much pain and famine and hunger in Gaza that they can’t even cry any longer."

Speaking on News At One RT, Harris added, "We cannot ignore genocide."

"The people of this country feel so strongly on this so I will work with the Swedes, with the Dutch, with everybody and anybody for standing up for our values. The world is looking at the European Union and our credibility as a union, in many ways, is on the line," he said. "Now is the time to ask, 'Will we be true to our values?'"

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is now facing starvation.

Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a case of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the war it waged in the enclave.

Editor's Choice: UN Report: Nearly 1,000 Palestinians in West Bank Killed by Israel Since October 2023

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