Khaberni - France hinted, on Thursday, that the issue of suspending the agreement between the European Union and Israel could be raised again after the "disproportionate" strikes carried out in Lebanon and violations by settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The French Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Pascal Confavreux, said, "Given the seriousness of yesterday’s events and in addition to that, and considering the situation in the West Bank, it cannot be ruled out that the discussion regarding the suspension of the partnership agreement between the European Union and Israel, in addition to national sanctions that may be imposed by France, might be reopened."
He added, "Israel, of course, has the right to defend itself, but its actions are not only unacceptable, they are also disproportionate and lead in effect to a deadlock."
Approving the suspension of this agreement, in force since 2000, requires the consensus of all twenty-seven member countries.
The European Union had begun last year to reconsider this agreement in light of the genocide and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following requests from several member states including the Netherlands.
These countries reasoned their request at the time by stating that Israel fails to respect human rights and democratic principles, Article 2 of this agreement facilitates political dialogue and trade exchanges between the two sides.
A report later issued by the European Commission concluded that Israel actually violates this article. Germany objected to any comprehensive suspension or termination of the agreement.
Merz warns of "peace process failure"
On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of the failure of the "peace process" between the United States and Iran to end the war, due to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, calling on Tel Aviv to stop them.
Merz said in front of journalists, "We are particularly concerned about the situation in southern Lebanon. The intensity of the operations carried out by Israel there could jeopardize the entire peace process, and this must not happen."
He added that on Wednesday, along with other leaders, he asked "the Israeli government to put an end to the escalation of its attacks."
Resuming communication with Iran
Merz also announced the resumption of communication with Iran, following a temporary ceasefire between Tehran and the United States, which is scheduled to lead to negotiations between the envoys of the two countries in Pakistan.
During the press conference, Merz said, "After a long silence imposed by important reasons on our part, the German government now resumes talks with Tehran. We are doing this in coordination with the United States and our European partners."
