Israel will respond appropriately if the EU sanctions it. This was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on the social network X,.
According to him, the recommendations of the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, are morally and politically distorted. He expressed hope that they would not be accepted.
According to him, actions against Israel would harm Europe's own interests.
Israel will continue to fight, with the help of its friends in Europe, against attempts to harm it while it is in the midst of an existential war, Saar stressed.
The European Commission proposed earlier today to freeze the free trade agreement with Israel, which covers about 5.8 billion euros in exports annually, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, reports "Reuters". The measure would result in annual tariffs for Israel of about 227 million euros.
Israel is the EU's largest trading partner in the region, with total trade between the two countries reaching 42.6 billion euros in 2024, according to European Commission data. If the agreement is terminated, Israeli goods will be subject to standard tariffs, like those of countries without a special trade regime.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaia Kallas, also unveiled a package of sanctions targeting far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir (national security) and Bezalel Smotrich (finance), as well as violent Israeli settlers and 10 senior Hamas members.
The proposal comes amid growing political pressure for European leaders to respond to Israel's nearly two-year-old offensive in Gaza and the dire humanitarian crisis. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed more than 64,000 Palestinians. Israeli figures show that the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages.
To enter into force, the proposal to suspend the agreement must receive the support of a qualified majority - 15 of the 27 member states, representing 65% of the EU population. Diplomats say this is unlikely due to Germany's position, which has so far opposed European sanctions against Israel.
A German government spokesman said Berlin had not yet formed a final position and wanted to keep communication channels open with Israel. Sanctions against Israeli ministers also require unanimity, which diplomats say will also be difficult to achieve.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the proposals as "morally and politically distorted" and expressed hope that they would not be adopted.
The European Commission is also temporarily suspending its bilateral support for Israeli institutions, without affecting funding for civil society and the Holocaust memorial center "Yad Vashem".