EU Credibility At Stake Over Israel, Lawmakers Warn As 1 Million Sign Petition For Sanctions

Following the the recent report that the European Citizens’ Initiative, launched in January under the banner Justice for Palestine, has become the fastest such campaign to reach the required threshold since the mechanism was introduced, European lawmakers are warning that the EU must wield its economic leverage over Israel or risk irreparably damaging its credibility on human rights, as a record-breaking petition demanding the suspension of the bloc’s trade agreement with Israel surpasses one million signatures.

According to a report made by Anadolu English on Thursday, 16 April, 2026, Catarina Martins, co-chair of the European Left Alliance, told Anadolu that the petition reflects a profound disconnect between EU leadership and ordinary Europeans, saying “There’s of course a huge gap between what the European Commission thinks and what European people think.”

She also argued that many citizens view the Israeli government’s actions as intolerable, highlighting that the initiative has now exceeded signature thresholds in at least 10 member states, well above the required seven, forcing the EU Commission to formally examine the proposal.

Martins went further to drew a sharp contrast between the EU’s swift sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and its reluctance to take similar action against Israel, stating “If we can do it when we say to Russia they cannot invade Ukraine, and I’m glad we did it then, we need to do it also now to stop the genocide and to stop the war in Lebanon.”

Meanwhile, Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament from the Left Group, warned that two fundamental issues are at stake: the EU’s credibility as a defender of international law, and potential legal complicity in crimes committed by Israel, stating “If Israel is found guilty of crimes of genocide by international courts, all states that have given military and material support to Israel will fall under this article as complicit actors in this crime.”

She also noted that polling in countries including France and Germany shows majorities favor sanctions on Israel and recognition of a Palestinian state……See More