Israel rejects EU call for ad-hoc summit

The European Commission confirmed receipt of the letter, and told POLITICO that EU foreign ministers would discuss the Israeli reaction at their next meeting on Monday.

EU ministers decided last month to convene an Association Council with Israel to discuss its compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, in view of the worsening humanitarian toll from Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The agreement is largely a trade deal.

“We are happy to convene an Association Council. Not an ad-hoc association council, but a regular association in which, as with any other country, we discuss all elements of bilateral EU-Israel relations, including trade, and education and culture … as well as human rights-related topics and the war,” the mission said in a verbal statement to POLITICO.

“Not under any circumstances will we agree to an ad-hoc special Association Council, however the High Representative wishes to call it,” said the mission. “We cannot use the Association Council as leverage for … political purposes.”

Some EU countries, including Belgium, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the month, want to reopen the agreement and exert pressure on Israel through trade sanctions. Belgium had previously pushed to hold the meeting during its presidency.

But earlier this week, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on X after meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó that Israel would agree to a regular summit under the upcoming Hungarian presidency of the EU “to improve Israel’s status in the EU, together with Hungary and other friendly countries within the EU.”