Israel’s membership in the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has been suspended following steps taken by the Israeli government that the organisation says conflict with its core commitment to saving lives, the Israeli website Ynet reported Thursday.
In a brief official letter, the ETSC announced the end of Israel’s participation in the European Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) programme, with no clear option for rejoining.
According to the letter, the decision was made during a meeting of the organisation’s board on 21 October.
The board agreed to suspend the membership of Israel’s National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in the programme “until further notice”, starting from 1 December.
The letter stated that “the recent measures of the current Israeli government are not considered compatible with the principled commitment of ETSC and the PIN program to protect human life.”
Since the beginning of 2025, 452 people have been killed in Israel, including 145 Arabs.
Israeli data show that 431 fatal road accidents have occurred so far this year. Six people were killed in the past week alone.
In 2024, 439 people died in road accidents, compared with 361 deaths recorded in 2023.
