More than 1.1 million Europeans have backed a petition demanding the suspension of political and trade relations with Israel, placing fresh pressure on the European Union to reconsider its partnership with the Israeli occupation amid mounting criticism of the wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
European citizens have signed a petition demanding the suspension of the EU’s trade and political relationship with Israel.
Brussels Faces Pressure to Reconsider Its Partnership
According to Israeli news outlet Ynet, the European Commission is expected to meet the petition’s organisers in the coming weeks, followed by a public hearing in the European Parliament. A formal Commission response is expected by May 2027.
The initiative targets the EU-Israel Association Agreement, signed in 1995 and effective since 2000. The agreement provides the main legal framework for bilateral relations, including preferential trade arrangements, reduced or eliminated tariffs on industrial and agricultural goods, and an Association Council for official political dialogue.
The economic stakes are substantial. According to EU figures, the bloc accounted for approximately one-third of Israel’s total trade in goods in 2025, making it Israel’s largest trading partner.
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Where Are the Signatures Coming From?
The petition was organised by the European Left Alliance, a coalition of 11 left-wing parties, which began collecting signatures approximately two years ago. The organisers cite what they describe as Israel’s failure to prevent genocide in Gaza as grounds for suspending the agreement.
The European Citizens’ Initiative allows citizens to request Commission consideration of proposals supported by at least one million people across seven or more EU member states.
The three leading countries reported. Bars are scaled relative to France, not to the total petition count.
Politico reported that only 14 of 136 registered European Citizens’ Initiatives have passed the million-signature threshold.
However, crossing that threshold does not compel the EU to implement a proposal. The Commission previously rejected an initiative concerning expanded abortion-service funding despite receiving more than 1.2 million signatures.
Israel Faces Another Threat: Exclusion From Horizon Europe
Beyond the Association Agreement, Israeli officials are increasingly concerned about potential exclusion from Horizon Europe, the EU’s principal scientific research and innovation funding programme.
According to Ynet, a new provision was introduced into draft rules for the 2028-2034 programme, linking participation by non-EU countries to compliance with human rights, international law and the Genocide Convention.
Israeli officials fear the provision could create a legal mechanism for excluding Israeli institutions. With a European Parliament vote expected by the end of the month, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and embassies are reportedly lobbying sympathetic parliamentarians to amend or remove it.
The current wording applies to countries joining the programme in the future. Israel intends to argue that its existing participation should therefore be exempt, although officials fear that this distinction could be disregarded.
“If this proposal is approved, it will be the biggest achievement ever for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.”
Senior Israeli official quoted by YnetThe official warned that exclusion could seriously damage Israel’s scientific sector and encourage a brain drain, as researchers could lose access to grants needed to develop their work.
What Happens Next?
Neither the petition nor the proposed research rules guarantees an immediate rupture in EU-Israel relations. Both, however, put the continuation of existing arrangements under greater political scrutiny as criticism of Israel’s military actions intensifies across Europe.
