Only five EU states – Belgium, Latvia, France, Estonia and Cyprus – were in favour of a resolution adopted by the UN general assembly in September that demanded Israel end “its unlawful presence” in the occupied territories of Palestine within 12 months. Bulgaria, Austria, Sweden, Italy and Germany abstained.

There has been a notable shift in the position of EU leaders since then.

Some European states such as France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the UK have reduced arms sales to Israel. But despite these policies, there is no EU arms ban on Israel. In fact, Germany provides one-third of Israel’s arms, and has even increased these exports in the second half of 2024.

Yet in July 2024, the court said that states are “under an obligation not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. This should arguably not only involve an EU ban on arms sales to Israel, but also a suspension of the EU’s trade agreement with Israel. Ireland and Spain have been pushing for the latter, but no decision has yet been taken.

the recent arrest warrants are likely to have a powerful indirect effect.(…) So, EU states that continue to provide arms to Israel are arguably complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

And even if the EU government itself does not ban arms sales, citizens can ask their own courts to enforce such a ban. This type of case is already occuring in the Netherlands.

EU states are firmly in agreement that only a two-state solution will increase the chances of security and peace in the region.