Many who support the Palestinian cause feel that the European Union's response to the war in Gaza has been weak, and that the Union leans too far towards Israel. To assess the EU's performance on this fairly, it helps to know what its foreign policy actually is — and what it is not.
EU foreign policy requires unanimity
Unlike trade rules or environmental standards, which are adopted by majority voting, the Union's foreign policy requires unanimity. Every joint statement, every sanction, every position needs the agreement of all 27 member states (cf. Articles 24 and 31 of the Treaty on European Union). A single country can block the rest.
This is why EU statements on Israel and Palestine often sound cautious and watered-down. They are not the opinion of "Brussels", but the lowest common denominator of 27 governments with differing views of the issue. When the European Commission proposed in 2025 to suspend trade concessions to Israel, after its own review found that Israel had breached the human-rights clause of the EU–Israel Association Agreement, the proposal stalled because of the split among the member states.
Where consensus is found, the EU acts: it has backed the two-state solution for decades, considers the settlements illegal, and is the largest donor of aid to the Palestinians.
Member states keep their own foreign policy
EU membership does not replace each country's foreign policy. Recognising other states, voting at the United Nations, bilateral relations — these remain decisions for each individual member state.
Recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state is a case in point. Sweden recognised Palestine in 2014; Spain, Ireland and Slovenia in 2024; France, Portugal, Luxembourg and Malta in 2025. A majority of EU member states now recognise the State of Palestine, while Germany, Austria, Hungary and Czechia remain among Israel's closest supporters. Some go further on their own: Spain has imposed an arms embargo on Israel, and Ireland has advanced legislation restricting trade with the illegal settlements.
What would change for us
We recognised Palestine in 2011, the first state in Western Europe. Membership would change nothing about that: we would keep our own foreign policy and our own vote at the United Nations, exactly as Spain and Ireland keep theirs.
What we would gain is a seat at the table where the common policy is shaped, with the same veto as every other state. Today we mostly align with EU sanctions and statements anyway, without any say in shaping them. A government of ours that wanted stronger action on Palestine would argue for it in the room, alongside Spain, Ireland and Sweden, instead of commenting from the outside. The treaties do expect member states to support agreed common positions loyally. But since every foreign-policy decision requires unanimity, that duty only covers what we agreed to ourselves.
In short: the EU seems hesitant on Palestine because its foreign policy requires all 27 member states to agree, and they don't. Each state keeps its own foreign policy — on Palestine, Kosovo, China or any other issue. Membership would not silence us: our recognition of Palestine stands, and we would trade a commentator's seat for a place at the table, with a veto over the Union's policy.
Sources and further reading:
- Treaty on European Union, Articles 24 and 31 — the legal basis of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, including the unanimity rule and constructive abstention.
- European External Action Service (EEAS) — Middle East Peace Process — the EU's long-standing common position: two-state solution, illegality of settlements, opposition to annexation.
- European Commission — Palestine — overview of EU support to the Palestinians; the EU and its member states are collectively the largest donor.
- Parliamentary resolution on the recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Palestine, adopted by Alþingi on 29 November 2011 — our recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state within the pre-1967 borders (document 407, matter 31, 140th legislative session).
- European Commission press release, 17 September 2025 — proposal to suspend trade-related provisions of the EU–Israel Association Agreement following the review under Article 2 (the human-rights clause), together with proposed sanctions on extremist ministers and violent settlers.
- Reuters — Which countries recognise a Palestinian state? — overview of recognitions of Palestine, including the 2024–2025 wave among EU member states.