Spain calls on EU to end association agreement with Israel 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that Spain will call on the European Union to terminate its association agreement with Israel within 48 hours, citing repeated violations of international law.

Speaking at an election rally in Andalusia on Sunday, Sánchez delivered one of the strongest anti-Israel messages from a European leader in recent weeks.

“On Tuesday, the Spanish government will present a proposal to the EU calling for the European Union to break off its association agreement with Israel,” he told the rally.

Israel “violates international law” and therefore “cannot be a partner of the European Union … it’s as simple as that,” Sánchez said.

The Spanish prime minister urged other European countries to support the initiative.

On Friday, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia sent a joint letter to the European Commission requesting that the agreement be discussed at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement, signed in June 2,000, includes a human rights clause that requires both parties to respect fundamental rights and democratic principles.

A review of the agreement has found clear indications that Israel is failing to comply with these obligations.

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Spain and Ireland first demanded a review of the accord in 2024, during Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Madrid’s subsequent recognition of the State of Palestine further angered Israel, and Sánchez has since intensified his criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu and his regime.

The latest announcement follows a series of strong statements by the Spanish leader.

Sánchez recently condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and, days earlier, called for the immediate suspension of the Association Agreement after Israel launched its heaviest assault on Lebanon since the beginning of its aggression.

In recent weeks, Spain’s Socialist government has also firmly denounced the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

At the rally, Sánchez addressed those “who started this war,” urging them to stop it and to “rein in” Netanyahu, in a reference to US President Donald Trump.

Earlier, at the European Pulse Forum 2026 in Barcelona, Sánchez argued that Israel was “trampling on and violating” several articles of the agreement and stated that Spain is “ready to take that step together with many other European countries.”

The Spanish proposal is not an isolated position. Several EU member states—including Belgium, Slovenia, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Sweden—have previously backed similar initiatives.

The EU remains Israel’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding €45 billion annually. Any suspension or termination of the association agreement would therefore carry significant economic and political consequences for the Tel Aviv regime.

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