SCHNEIDER, BILIRAKIS OPPOSE DOWNGRADE OF EU-ISRAEL AGREEMENT
WASHINGTON – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus, with Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), sent a bipartisan letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative Kaja Kallas expressing deep concern over proposals to suspend or downgrade the European Union’s Association Agreement with Israel.
In the letter, the Members warned that such a move would “fracture our collective response to October 7th — the most brutal assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust — and risk emboldening the very actors who threaten the democratic world.”
Following the receipt of the letter, the European Commission delayed a scheduled discussion about a possible downgrade.
“Now is the time for unity among democratic allies, not retreat,” said Congressman Schneider. “Downgrading ties with Israel while Hamas continues to hold hostages and Iran advances its nuclear program sends the wrong message to our adversaries. We must stand together to defend our shared values and regional stability.”
“The European Commission’s potential decision to distance itself from Israel sends the wrong message at a time when unity among democratic allies is more critical than ever. Walking away from one of the region’s strongest democratic partners undermines our shared values and emboldens those who oppose peace and stability,” noted Congressman Bilirakis.
The Members emphasized that the EU-Israel relationship delivers critical benefits to both parties, including collaboration on science, technology, and security. “This relationship has saved lives on both sides of the Mediterranean,” the letter reads. “It should be strengthened, not discarded.”
The letter follows Israel’s recent defensive strike against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, taken after the IAEA censured Iran for systematic violations of its non-proliferation commitments, and the U.S.’s pre-emptive strike on three Iranian nuclear sites. The Members urged EU leaders to remain engaged with Israel and reject efforts to politicize the agreement, stating: “The only path to meaningful Palestinian self-determination runs through continued diplomacy, regional cooperation, and principled pressure on Hamas and its backers—not isolation of Israel.”
Full text of the letter is available here.
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