EU sanctions on Israel can be adopted after Hungary’s shift

France’s foreign minister said Thursday that the EU could soon move ahead with sanctions against Israel as the Hungarian government change could lift its long-standing veto.

No more veto thanks to new PM Péter Magyar

Jean-Noel Barrot told France Info that he had been advocating for sanctions “for a year” against individuals or entities responsible for violence against Palestinians, including those in the West Bank.

“I think we will manage to adopt these sanctions in the coming days,” he said in an interview.

Barrot said the measures had so far been blocked by Hungary under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, but suggested the veto “could be lifted” following the election of the new Hungarian prime minister.

The EU cannot ignore Israel’s actions

He also warned that the EU could not ignore Israel’s actions if its policies remain unchanged.

Amid calls to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which is conditional on respect for human rights, the minister said that if the Israeli government does not change its policy, the bloc will not be able to act as if nothing has happened.

At the same time, Barrot stressed that France was not seeking “to suspend for the sake of suspending” and that any decision would need to be taken at the European level.

Israel’s standing in US eroding more deeply than it appears

Israeli news site Walla reported on Wednesday that “Israel’s standing in the United States has been damaged more deeply than it appears, and this transformation began largely after the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.” “For decades, the relationship between the US and Israel was considered one of the most stable pillars of American foreign policy,” according to the site.

“But in recent weeks, amid regional developments and unprecedented statements from senior US officials, a troubling message has begun to emerge: a fundamental change has occurred,” it added.

Walla reported that data provides clear evidence of this shift, noting that about 60% of Americans now express negative views of Israel, the Anadolu News Agency wrote. Among Americans aged 18 to 29, about 75% show greater sympathy for Palestinians than for Israel, according to the site. “These are figures we have not seen before,” it said.

According to the report, the shift has also become politically evident in the US Senate during discussions over an arms deal with Israel. “In the end, the deal passed, but the debate revealed a fundamental shift, as 40 out of 47 Democratic senators voted against it,” it added. Only a few years ago, such a position “would have been political suicide for a senator, but today it has become common,” the site said.

It added that this shift is also visible across the broader political landscape, where potential presidential candidates for 2028 from both major parties no longer see unconditional support for Israel as a clear political advantage.

Less tolerant position

The report said the American generation that grew up viewing Israel as a victim, shaped by the 1967 and 1973 wars, is fading and being replaced by a generation shaped by images from Gaza, social media and different global narratives.

“All indicators suggest that whether a Democratic or Republican president is elected, the position toward Israel is expected to be less tolerant and more restrained,” it added.

“The conclusion is clear: the alliance between Israel and the United States is not collapsing, but it is no longer taken for granted. What was once considered a near-sacred consensus has become a subject of political and public debate, even across generations.”

If you missed our previous pieces about Israel:

• Péter Magyar on phone with Benjamin Netanyahu: they agreed on two issues
• Mega investment: Israeli defence industry hub could come to Budapest