EU eyes sanctions on Israel, Orbán likely to resist

The EU’s top diplomat unveiled plans Wednesday to downgrade trade ties with Israel and sanction top officials over findings of human rights abuses in Gaza, marking a major shift in the bloc’s approach to Tel Aviv.

EU moves to sanction Israeli officials, suspend trade benefits over Gaza

Kaja Kallas said that all member states agree that the situation in Gaza is “untenable,” while also cautioning that “dangerous developments” in the West Bank threaten the viability of a two-state solution.

“I want to be very clear, the aim (of the new measures) is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” she said.

Speaking after a meeting of the commission, she also criticized the Israeli government’s military push into Gaza City, calling it a new escalation that will only worsen the humanitarian crisis.

“All member states agree that the situation in Gaza is untenable. The war needs to end. The suffering must stop, and all hostages must be released. We must use all the tools we have towards this outcome. We must also not lose sight of the dangerous developments in the West Bank that reduce the viability of a two-state solution,” she added.

Kallas also highlighted that the public across EU member states is increasingly demanding action to stop the suffering in Gaza. “The public opinion in member states is really shifting because the suffering in Gaza is visible, and people want to see an end to this suffering on a political level,” she said.

Maros Sefcovic, European commissioner for trade and economic security, said the proposal targets key provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, including the free movement of goods, services, public procurement, competition, and intellectual property.

“In practice, this means that imports from Israel to the EU will lose the preferential access to the EU market, and that these goods will be charged duties at the level applied to any other third countries with whom the EU has no free trade agreement,” he told a press conference in Brussels.

Sefcovic emphasized that the EU remains Israel’s largest trading partner, with total trade in goods in 2024 reaching €42.6 billion ($50.4 billion), or nearly a third of Israel’s total trade.

“In light of these figures and the principles at stake, the proposed partial suspension, it’s a carefully considered response to an increasingly urgent situation,” he added. The EU Council will decide on the proposed trade measures by a qualified majority.

The commission also announced sanctions on Palestinian resistance group Hamas, extremist Cabinet ministers of the Israeli government, and violent settlers. The EU Council now needs to approve the decision unanimously.

‘Situation in Gaza and West Bank is unacceptable’

Dubravka Suica, European commissioner for the Mediterranean, said the commission is also halting bilateral support to the Israeli government, including around €14 million allocated for 2020–2024, with €4.3 million of that contracted and €9.4 million uncontracted.

“The situation in Gaza and in the West Bank is unacceptable. As the commission, we continue to advocate for a two-state solution, one based on a secure Israel and the viable Palestinian Authority,” she said, adding that the suspension of funds can be revoked if conditions on the ground improve.

The commission clarified that support for combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life will remain unaffected, including funds for civil society initiatives.

“Reflecting these principled commitments, and taking into account serious recent developments in the West Bank, we propose to suspend trade concessions with Israel, sanction extremist ministers and violent settlers, and put bilateral support to Israel on hold, without affecting our work with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem” – Israel’s World Holocaust Remembrance Center – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement following the announcement.

“The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop,” she added.

The Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to famine and the spread of disease, alongside a deadly famine.

Orbán and the government stands by Israel despite international pressure

In 2025, the Hungarian and Israeli governments formed a very close alliance based on strategic and economic cooperation. Hungary has reaffirmed its commitment to Israel, particularly in maintaining stability in the Middle East, and does not support the revision of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which signals a deepening of bilateral relations. Cooperation is close not only in the diplomatic sphere, but also in the economic, defense, and innovation fields.

In 2025, Hungary withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which was also approved by the National Assembly. The government justified this by saying that the ICC had made politically motivated decisions, particularly by placing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the arrest list. According to the Hungarian position, the work of the ICC is not impartial and is under political pressure, therefore Hungary does not wish to participate in this organization.

Furthermore, the Hungarian government did not condemn Israel for clear crimes committed against civilians and did not join international initiatives criticizing Israel for these issues. Hungary emphasizes the recognition of Israel’s right to self-defense and rejects the anti-Israel rhetoric that has emerged from some Western European politicians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an official visit to Budapest in 2025 at the invitation of Viktor Orbán. This visit was particularly significant because the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him in 2024, making it difficult for him to appear in many countries around the world. However, Hungary expressly stood by him and did not enforce the ICC’s order. The visit was further proof of the close and special political relationship between the two countries.

The Trump administration strongly supported Israel, especially in relation to the conflicts in the Middle East, and the Hungarian government is also visibly following this support. Trump has repeatedly emphasized his support for Israel, even when under international and domestic political pressure, and has interpreted Israel’s military actions, such as the Gaza offensive, as a declaration of war, while also supporting military pressure to free hostages. In this way, the Hungarian political leadership is aligning itself with the former foreign policy of the United States, which explains the two countries’ joint support for Israel.

At the same time, several major powers and countries are criticizing Israel, especially because of the recent tensions in the Middle East. Turkey, led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sharply criticizes Israel, using strong terms such as “genocide” and considering Israel’s policy to be destabilizing for the region. Erdogan also emphasizes that Israel’s goal is to destabilize the region and torpedo the Iranian nuclear program.

China similarly condemns Israel’s military actions, especially the attacks on Iranian targets, and sees them as a threat to peace in the region. China accuses Israel of violating the UN Charter and Iran’s sovereignty and officially rejects the use of force in the region.

Several EU member states and the EU itself are critical of Israel. Although some countries, such as Germany and Italy, are more cautious about taking tough action, many EU member states would support suspending certain trade and financial assistance to Israel and exerting political pressure over Gaza and Judea and Samaria. In addition to diplomatic condemnation by the EU, several political and civil initiatives are also targeting Israel.