BRUSSELS, (PIC)
In a political development reflecting the rising popular pressure within Europe, a petition demanding the suspension of the association agreement between the European Union and Israel surpassed the 1,000,000-signature mark in only three months, which moved the file to the heart of the debate within European Union institutions, and reopened the controversy over the future of economic and political relations with Israel.
This development comes in the context of a wave of protests and rapid shifts in the European mood since the Israeli aggression on Gaza in 2023, as popular movement is no longer limited to the street, but has begun to take an institutional path through legal tools within the European Union.
Accumulated awareness
The writer and media expert, Hossam Shaker, believes that this petition cannot be treated as a digital or situational event, but rather as an indicator of an accumulated shift in European popular awareness toward the Palestinian cause.
He pointed out in a statement to PIC that surpassing 1,000,000 signatures does not only reflect the volume of participation, but reveals the existence of a much broader base of European public opinion that adopts critical positions toward Israel, and pushes toward holding it politically and legally accountable.
He explained that this case reflects the widening gap between the European street and official institutions, where popular awareness advances at a faster pace than political decision-making, at a time when European governments still deal cautiously with the idea of imposing sanctions or reviewing agreements with Israel.
He added that the importance of the petition lies not only in its size, but in its timing, as it came amid a decline in media coverage of the war on Gaza, which indicates that popular interaction has not retreated but has moved to more established levels within the European political structure.
He concluded that what is described as the “European awareness season” is still continuing, rather, it is escalating gradually, which puts more pressure on European decision-making institutions.
From the street to the corridors of decision
The analytical study issued by the European Palestinian Council for Political Relations shows that this initiative did not arise in isolation from the general political context, but rather came as a result of a long accumulation of shifts within European public opinion.
The study clarifies that the European Union witnessed during the recent period more than 50,000 demonstrations and events in 25 European countries in support of Palestine, which contributed to creating an environment of continuous popular pressure.
With the continuation of the war on Gaza, this movement began to transform gradually from the street to European institutions, through activating the “European Citizens’ Initiative” which allows raising direct demands to the European Commission.
The study points out that this shift reflects an increasing realization within broad sectors of Europeans that silence on what is happening in Gaza is seen as a type of complicity, which contributed to the transition of the Palestinian cause from the framework of protest to the framework of organized political pressure.
In a notable step, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel “given the current situation,” according to what was reported by the Italian News Agency.
The decision came during a statement made by Meloni on Tuesday upon her arrival at a fair in Verona, where she confirmed that the government took this step in light of field developments.
Legal basis and political pressure
The petition is based on Article two of the association agreement between the European Union and Israel, which states that respect for human rights is an essential condition for the continuation of the agreement.
The petition reviews a group of violations that it considers a direct breach of this article, including the targeting of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure and medical facilities, the imposition of a total blockade on Gaza, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
The petition also links these violations to decisions issued by the International Court of Justice, which demanded that measures be taken to prevent the occurrence of acts that may amount to genocide.
Based on this, the petition demands a full suspension of the association agreement, and not just a partial review as previously proposed within European Union institutions.
Accumulated political backgrounds
The study indicates that the petition came as a result of a series of political and legal developments that contributed to pushing the file to the forefront, including: The International Court of Justice decision in January 2024, which opened a legal debate on Israel’s obligations, and increasing calls from European countries to reconsider the association agreement, and reports and positions issued by international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which demanded the suspension of the agreement. In addition to political and religious events in Jerusalem that sparked wide European reactions, and contributed to raising the level of popular interaction.
A qualitative leap
In this context, the head of the European Palestinian Council for Political Relations, Majed Al-Zeer, confirmed that what happened represents a qualitative leap in the level of the Palestinian presence inside Europe, pointing out that this momentum imposes a “permanent need for active presence on various arenas, especially within the European Union and the international community.”
He told the PIC that this wide interaction, despite the challenges, reflects a growing European solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and confirms that the Israeli narrative no longer dominates European public opinion as in the past, where the issue has moved from the margin to the center of political debate.
The economic dimension
The importance of the petition also emerges through the economic dimension, as the European Union is the top trading partner with Israel with an exchange volume estimated at tens of billions of euros annually.
The study believes that any change in this relationship, even if partial, may be reflected directly on the Israeli economy, which gives the petition doubled political and economic weight.
Map of signatures
The data reveals that more than ten European countries surpassed the legal limit required for the adoption of signatures, including France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium.
France topped the list with more than 354,000 signatures, in an indicator described as a “political tsunami reflecting the strength of the popular movement.”
Italy and Spain also recorded high participation rates, which reflects the expansion of the popular base supporting the initiative within Europe.
Gap between the street and decision
Despite this popular momentum, there is still a clear gap between the European popular position and official policies, as the European Union has not yet taken decisive steps regarding the suspension of the agreement.
The study points out that the continuation of this discrepancy may lead to an escalation of pressure within European Union institutions in the coming period.
Reaching this number does not represent the end of the path, but rather the beginning of a procedural stage that includes the verification of signatures, presenting the petition to the European Commission, then holding hearings within the European Parliament, leading to an official political and legal position.
