Germany's Wadephul against suspending the EU agreement with Israel

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday he wants to keep a partnership treaty between the European Union and Israel despite possible violations of the agreement.

"We need good relations with Israel," Wadephul said on the fringes of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

"Israel is the democratic constitutional state in the Middle East," he said.

An EU internal review concluded recently that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip are not in line with the principles established for its close cooperation with the EU.

The report questioned whether Israel was still adhering to the basic principles of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. These include that relations between the parties to the agreement are based on respect for human rights.

EU ministers gathered in Brussels are discussing how to respond to the findings.

The options range from suspending the partnership agreement to economic sanctions. For example, customs facilitations could be revoked and Israel's access to the EU's Horizon research funding programme could be blocked.

Wadephul however advised against holding further formal discussions about the report.

"We need this association agreement and should not call it into question in any way," he said.