Why is Israel now facing pressure from some of its western allies?
May 26, 2025 #Spain #MadridGroup #MadridTalks
The Madrid Group has convened in Spain’s capital for a fifth time, attended by major European a
May 26, 2025 #Spain #MadridGroup #MadridTalks
The Madrid Group has convened in Spain’s capital for a fifth time, attended by major European and Arab nations.
Pressure on Israel this year has ramped up, with Spain calling for an arms embargo on Israel and the imposition of sanctions on individuals who obstruct a two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The UK has paused trade talks and sanctioned a number of Israeli settlers in the Occupied West Bank. Canada and France have also threatened punitive measures.
And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement covering trade and political dialogue.
But after 20 months of Israel's destruction of Gaza, why is this happening now?
And without changes on the ground for Palestinians, are these actions anything more than diplomatically symbolic?
Presenter: Tom McRae
Guests:
Lynn Boylan - Member of European Parliament; Chair of the Delegation of Relations with Palestine.
Mouin Rabbani - Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies.
Saul Takahashi - former Deputy Head of Office of the UN human rights agency in Occupied Palestine.
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