Press Release
11 August 2025
More than 100 Former Members of the European Parliament Call on Commission to request suspension of the EU-Israel Association
Agreement or risk ‘culpable inaction’ The failure of the European Institutions to take robust action in the face of war crimes being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza have prompted over 100 former Members of the European Parliament, from across the political spectrum, to make a joint urgent call.
In an open letter to Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and High Representative Kaja Kallas, 110 former MEPs from 18 countries, including 2 former EP Presidents, and representing all of the major European political families (EPP, S&D/PES, RENEW/ALDE, Greens, Left/GUE, UEN, ECR) called for the Commission to urgently propose a full suspension of the EU’s
Association Agreement with Israel.
Failure to do so, they write, risks the Commission being found in breach of the Treaties (TFEU Article 265) for “culpable inaction”. Failure of Member States to agree to the proposal would “expose their complicity in this war crime”. The Commission’s own review points to clear violations of the human rights clause of the agreement (Article 2).

To:
• Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,
• Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign ABairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the European Commission

Former Members Letter demanding the EU suspend its Association Agreement with Israel

10 August 2025

Dear Madam President,
Dear High Representative / Vice President,
The current collective starvation of Gazans by the Israeli State is nothing short of a war crime. This violates the fundamental human rights on which all EU Association Agreements with third countries are based, thanks to the eMorts of the European
Parliament over decades.
We welcome the belated decision by the Commission on 28 July to propose suspending Israel’s participation in the EU’s Horizon research programme. However, this is too little, too late. The Commission’s own review in June clearly showed Israel’s breach of Article 2 of the Agreement. In the absence of an end to the closure of border access to Gaza allowing unimpeded humanitarian access by the UN and associated NGOs we, as 110 former Members of the European Parliament, insist that the Commission urgently requests that Member States agree to fully suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Failure to do so risks violating Article 265 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on the grounds of culpable inaction. Failure of Member States to agree to such a proposal would expose their complicity in this war crime.

Yours sincerely,
Signatories:
1. Glyn Ford (S&D, UK, 1984-2009)
2. Nuala Ahern (Greens/EFA, IE, 1994-2004)
3. Alviina Alametsä (Greens/EFA, FI, 2019-2024)
4. Jean-Marie Alexandre (PES, FR, 1987-1994)
5. Elspeth Attwooll (ALDE, UK, 1999-2009)
6. Liam Aylward (ALDE, IE, 2004-2014)
7. Maria Badia i Cutchet (S&D, ES, 2004-2019)
8. Mariela Baeva (ALDE, BG, 2007-2009)
9. Enrique Barón Crespo (S&D, ES, 1987-2009) – EP President (1989-1992)
10. CatherineBearder (Renew Europe, UK, 2009-2020)
11. Maria Belo (PES, PT, 1988-1994)
12.  Xabier Benito Ziluaga (GUE/NGL, ES, 2015-2019)
13. Nora Berra (EPP, FR, 2012-2014)
14. Jean Besse (PES, FR, 1984-1989)
15. Bruno Boissière (Greens, FR, 1991-1994)
16. Josep Borrell Fontelles (S&D, ES, 2004-2009) – EP President (2004-2007) and EU High Representative for Foreign AMairs (2019-2024)
17. John Bowis (EPP, UK, 1999-2009)
18. Paul Brannen (S&D, UK, 2014-2019)
19. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (ELDR, NL, 1994-1999)
20. Martine Buron (PES, FR, 1988-1994)
21. Richard Caborn (PES, UK, 1979-1984)
22. Lord Michael Cashman (S&D, UK, 1999-2014)
23. Luciana Castellina (GUE/NGL, IT, 1979-1999)
24. Juan Luis Colino Salamanca (PES, ES, 1989-1999)
25. Ken Collins (PES, UK, 1979-1999)
26. Joan Colom Naval (S&D, ES, 1986-2004)
27. Richard Corbett (S&D, UK, 1996-2009 & 2014-2020)
28. Emer Costello (S&D, IE, 2012-2014) – Chair of the EP Delegation to Palestinian Legislative Council (2012-2014)
29. Jean-Pierre Cot (PES, FR, 1984-1999) – Socialist Group Leader (1989-1994)
30. Beatrice Covassi (S&D, IT, 2022-2024)
31. Brian Crowley (ECR, IE, 1994-2019)
32. John Cushnahan (EPP, IE, 1989-2004) – Vice President of EP Foreign AMairs Committee (1997-1999)
33. Josianne Cutajar (S&D, MT, 2019-2024)
34. Birgit Daiber (Greens, DE, 1989-1994)
35. Margaret E. Daly (EDG, UK, 1989-1994)
36. Chris Davies (Renew Europe, UK, 1999-2014 & 2019-2020)
37. Véronique De Keyser (S&D, BE, 2001-2014) – S&D Vice President (2009-2014), Head of EU election observation mission to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2006)
38. Juan José de la Cámara Martínez (PES, ES, 1989-1994)
39. Proinsias De Rossa (S&D, IE, 1999-2012) – Chair of the Delegation for relations with Palestinian Legislative Council (2009-2012)
40. Dinesh Dhamija (Renew Europe, UK, 2019-2020)
41. Alan John Donnelly (S&D, UK, 1989-2000)
42. Raymonde Dury (S&D, BE, 1982-1998)
43. Monica Frassoni (Greens/EFA, IT, 1999-2009)
44. Pat the Cope Gallagher (ALDE, IE, 1994-2002 & 2009-2014)
45. Ibán García del Blanco (S&D, ES, 2019-2024)
46. Robert Goebbels (S&D, LU, 1999-2014)
47. Tania González Peñas (The Left, ES, 2014-2019)
48. Ignasi Guardans (ALDE, ES, 2004-2009)
49. Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D, ES, 2009-2019)
50. Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, FR, 2009-2024) – EP Vice President (2014-2019)
51. Marian Harkin (ALDE, IE, 2004-2019)
52. Satu Hassi (Greens/EFA, FI, 2004-2014)
53. Heidi Anneli Hautala (Greens/EFA, FI, 1995-2003 & 2009-2011 & 2014-2019) – EP Vice President (2017-2024)
54. Mary Honeyball (S&D, UK, 2000-2019)
55. John Howarth (S&D, UK, 2017-2020)
56. Stephen Hughes (S&D, UK, 1984-2014)
57. Iñaki Xabier Irazababeitia Fernández (Greens/EFA, ES-Basque Country, 2013-2014)
58. María Izquierdo Rojo (S&D, ES, 1989-2004)
59. Jürgen Klute (GUE/NGL, DE, 2009-2014)
60. Georgios Kyrtsos (Renew Europe, HE, 2014-2024)
61. Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK, 1999-2019)
62. Michèle Humbert Lindeperg (PES, FR, 1994-1999)
63. Liz Lynne (ALDE, UK, 1992-2012)
64. Jamila Madeira (S&D, PT, 2004-2009)
65. Antonius Toine Manders (EPP, NL, 1999-2014 & 2019-2024)
66. Ernest Maragall Mira (Greens/EFA, ES – Catalonia, 2014-2016)
67. MargaridaMarques (S&D, PT, 2019-2024)
68. David Martin (S&D, UK, 1984-2019) – EP Vice President (1989-2004)
69. Miguel Ángel Martínez Martínez (S&D, ES, 1999-2014)
70. Edward McMillan-Scott (ALDE, UK, 1984-2014) – Leader of the European Observer missions to the Palestine presidential poll (2005) and the 2006 parliamentary poll
71. Karen Melchior (Renew Europe, DK, 2019-2024)
72. Emilio Menéndez del Valle (S&D, ES, 1999-2014)
73. Ana C. Miranda de Lage (S&D, ES, 1986-1999 & 2003-2004)
74. Silvia Modig (The Left, FI, 2019-2024)
75. Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL, IT, 1999-2009)
76. JanMulder (ALDE, NL, 1994-2009 & 2010-2014)
77. Roberto Musacchio (GUE/NGL, IT, 2004-2009)
78. Riita Myller (S&D, FI, 1995-2009)
79. Pasqualina Napoletano (S&D, IT, 1989-2009)
80. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (ALDE, BE, 1994-1999 & 2004-2015)
81. Seán Ó Neachtain (UEN, IE, 2002-2009)
82. Janina Ochojska (EPP, PL, 2019-2024)
83. Konstantina Pantazi (PES, HE, 1981-1989)
84. Manu Pineda (The Left, ES, 2019-2024) – Chair Delegation for relations with Palestine (2019-2024)
85. Georgi Pirinski (S&D, BG, 2014-2019)
86. Ona Rainyté Bodard (ALDE, LT, 2004-2009)
87. Teresa Riera Madurell (S&D, ES, 2004-2024)
88. Soraya Rodríguez (Renew Europe, ES, 2019-2024)
89. María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop (The Left, ES, 2019-2024)
90. Inma Rodríguez-Piñero (S&D, ES, 2014-2024)
91. Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D, ES, 2019-2024)
92. Pierre Schori (S&D, SE, 1999-2004)
93. Frank Schwalba-Hoth (Rainbow/Greens, DE, 1984-1987)
94. Jordi Sebastià (Greens/EFA, ES – Valencian Country, 2014-2016)
95. Monica Semedo (Renew Europe, LU, 2009-2024)
96. Ricardo Serrão Santos (S&D, PT, 2014-2019)
97. Joke Swiebel (PES, NL, 1999-2004)
98. Michael Tappin (PES, UK, 1994-1999)
99. Lord Robin Teverson (ELDR, UK, 1994-1999)
100. Alexandra Thein (ALDE, DE, 2009-2014) – Member of the EP Delegations for relations with Israel and the Palestinian Legislative Council
101. Astrid Thors (ALDE, FI, 1996-2004)
102. Miguel Urbán Crespo (The Left, ES, 2015-2024)
103. Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES, 1999-2009 & 2014-2019)
104. Bodil Valero (Greens/EFA, SE, 2014-2019)
105. Peter van Dalen (ECR-EPP, NL, 2009-2023)
106. Bob van den Bos (ALDE, NL, 1999-2004)
107. Anne Van Lancker (S&D, BE, 1994-2009)
108. Susan Waddington (PES, UK, 1994-1999)
109. Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK, 1999-2012)
110. Julie Ward (S&D, UK, 2014-2020)