Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, threatened this Wednesday with a response to Brussels if the measures announced by the European Commission against the Hebrew country are approved.
“Israel will continue to fight, with the help of its friends in Europe, against attempts to harm it while immersed in an existential war. Measures against Israel will be responded to accordingly, and we hope we don’t have to resort to them“, wrote the official on his X account.
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Within the measures proposed by the European Union against the Hebrew country are the application of tariffs for
227 million euros (270 million dollars), the suspension of financial support for about 20 million and sanctions against two ministers and five associations of extremist Israeli settlers.
Saab described the recommendations of the Council of Commissioners, led by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as
“morally and politically distorted” and warned that their “actions against Israel will harm the interests of Europe itself.”
“Grave and disastrous” situation
Last week, Von der Leyen revealed some details of this initiative during her State of the Union address, presenting it as a response to what she defined as an
“unsustainable” situation in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas,
admitted that the plan still has to overcome a
complex political process, since at least one of the major EU countries, such as
Germany or
Italy, which have so far blocked any attempt at economic pressure on Tel Aviv, will have to support it.
Kallas argued that if the EU member states agree that the situation is “serious and disastrous”, they must then respond with concrete actions. “If they do not support these measures,
what measures can they support? Let them bring alternatives”, he stated.
