Tsafrir Abayov/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.Relations between Europe and Israel are very solid. Since the EU-Israel Association Agreement entered into force in 2000, the European Union has opened many areas for cooperation. However, despite Israel's privileged status, the relationship with the EU has at times been tense. Israel often feels singled out, as happened in the case of the EU’s decision to label settlement goods.
However, the EU has always stated that it will not recognise any unilateral changes to the pre-1967 borders and has insisted on the illegality of the settlements. At the same time it has left some scope for Israel to differ and to apply the bilateral agreements according to its national legislation. It was only recently that the EU took corrective measures to allow the deepening of relations with Israel while at the same time ensuring respect for international law.
EU-Israel relations under the shadow of the settlements
Despite Israel’s ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territory and its settlement expansion, relations between Israel and the EU have been remarkably robust. The EU is firmly committed to the two-state solution, where a viable Palestinian state is established next to a secure Israeli state. It views settlements as a major obstacle to the two-state solution and insists it will not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The European Union has always been clear about the illegality of the acquisition of territory by the use of force and its duty of non-recognition of the illegal acts of third states.
