EU divided on suspension of Israel pact as Spain pushes for action

BRUSSELS, Apr 21: European countries including Spain and Ireland pushed on Tuesday for suspending a European Union pact governing its relationship with Israel, but the bloc remained divided on whether to take action.
Arriving at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, a number of ministers called for suspending or partially suspending the pact over concerns about settlements in the West Bank, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and a new death penalty law.
"Today, Europe's credibility is at stake," Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters, calling for a discussion on suspending the association agreement, which came into force in 2000.
Diplomats and some of those attending nevertheless said they did not expect a decision at the meeting, as countries retain diverging positions as to whether - and how - to shift the bloc's policies on Israel.
The European Commission proposed in September suspending some trade-related provisions of the association agreement, an arrangement affecting about 5.8 billion euros of Israeli exports. Israel said at the time the proposals were "morally and politically distorted".    �"REUTERS