Germany refuses to impose European sanctions on “Israel”

BERLIN, Aug. 31 (YPA) – Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced on Saturday that Berlin would not “at this time” agree to the The European Commission (EC)’s proposal to impose sanctions on “Israel” over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

During a European Union meeting in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, Wadephul added that the EC’s sanctions proposal required the support of a “qualified majority” in the Council of Member States, meaning the approval of 15 of the EU’s 27 member states, which represent at least 65% of the participating member states’ populations.

He said that the proposed suspension of cooperation with Israeli occupation under the Horizon Europe research funding program was a measure that would likely have no impact on political decision-making or Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, explaining that Germany was therefore not entirely convinced by these proposals.

All other major EU countries, and many smaller ones, support this punitive measure.