RESOLUTION - Safeguarding the EU–Israel Association Agreement as a cornerstone for student cooperation and long-term partnership

Preamble:

The EU–Israel Association Agreement, in force since 2000 and based on a foundational treaty signed in 1995, has shaped over 25 years of institutional cooperation between the European Union and the State of Israel. This Agreement spans governments, ideologies, and crises, and has withstood changes in leadership in both the EU and Israel. While the Agreement is currently under political review due to concerns regarding compliance with its human rights clause (Article 2), it remains a central framework for research, academic mobility, and democratic dialogue. For EUJS, an organisation dedicated to the needs of Jewish students and young professionals across Europe, the integrity of this framework is essential, not only because of our ties with Israeli civil society but because it establishes a foundation for political dialogue, economic exchange, and collaboration in areas such as science, culture, and academia. This helps form the foundation of a resilient and pluralistic Jewish future in Europe and a more tolerant and informed general public. 

EUJS notes that:

1. Europe and Erasmus+, providing infrastructure for cross-border collaboration. 
2. Suspension or erosion of the Agreement could damage student- and civil society-level ties by undermining political and financial trust between EU and Israeli institutions. 
3. Countries such as Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Belgium have voiced concern or called for suspending or blocking the Agreement’s renewal or Action Plan.
4. Conversely, Germany’s federal government, alongside Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Romania, has firmly opposed suspension, with Chancellor Merz affirming its importance as a long-term diplomatic tool beyond any current government’s actions.

EUJS resolves to:

1. Publicly support the continuation and renewal of the EU–Israel Association Agreement and its Action Plan, recognising it as a pillar of institutional cooperation essential to long-term EU–Israel economic relations, with influences on student and civil society relations.
2. Advocate for the importance of Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and other EU–Israel scientific and academic frameworks, particularly for Jewish students and young professionals.
3. Call on the European Parliament and Commission to avoid a suspension of the Agreement and instead pursue constructive engagement, recognising the likelihood of democratic change within Israel.
4. Echo and support the position of the German government, which has urged the EU to preserve the Agreement as a diplomatic platform rather than abandon it in a moment of strain.
5. Oppose calls from individual member states to block or suspend the Agreement, instead encouraging a balanced approach that allows the EU to voice human rights concerns while maintaining trade, academic, student, and civil society partnerships with the only democracy in the Middle East.

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