EU lawmakers urge action as petition to suspend EU-Israel deal tops 1M

Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday urged the EU to act after a European Citizens' Initiative calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement surpassed one million signatures, describing the campaign as a "mass movement" reflecting widespread public demand to stop the war.

"European people to stop the war and to stop Israeli government because 1 million signatures in three months is a monumental task. This is not something from a few activists. This is a mass movement," MEP Catarina Martins, co-chair of the European Left Alliance, told reporters in Brussels.

Launched in January 2026 under the title "Justice for Palestine," the initiative reached the one-million-signature threshold in just three months, making it one of the fastest campaigns since the mechanism was introduced. Organizers said it has also exceeded national thresholds in at least 10 EU member states.

Backed by the European Left Alliance and supported by civil society groups and Palestinian-led movements across the bloc, the initiative calls on the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel, citing alleged violations of international law and human rights. Organizers said they will continue collecting signatures toward a new target of 1.5 million.

"We are primary commercial partners of Israel. So we must understand that we are funding the genocide and we are funding the war. And what citizens all over Europe are saying this must stop, and European Union must use its leverage to stop the Israeli government," she said.

European Parliament Left Group co-chair Manon Aubry said the pace of the signature drive underscores growing public anger and places responsibility on EU institutions.

"It demonstrates that European citizens can no longer accept the complicity of European countries and states in the genocide in Palestine," Aubry said, calling for urgent action to suspend the agreement while the attacks continue.

Another Left Group lawmaker, Rima Hassan, said the initiative marks a turning point in holding EU leaders accountable.

"The European Commission can no longer close its eyes to the crimes committed by Israel," she stressed, adding that the scale of support reflects years of mobilization by civil society and signals a clear demand for action.

"This initiative is European victory, a first step along the road, and European leaders have to face up to the historic responsibility," Hassan added.

Under the rules, a European Citizens' Initiative must gather at least 1 million valid signatures and meet minimum thresholds in at least seven EU member states to be considered by the European Commission.

Once the conditions are met, the European Commission is required to examine the proposal and decide whether to take action, though it is not legally obliged to introduce legislation.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, includes a human rights clause stating that relations between the parties are based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.