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Human Rights Watch (HRW) and over 110 organizations and trade unions on Friday called on the EU to immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel, citing the latter’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians. The joint statement emphasized that such action is overdue in holding Israel accountable for systematic abuses, including alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide committed during its military operations in Gaza.
The organizations urged the EU to ensure that the review of “Israel’s compliance with article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is thorough, comprehensive, and credible.” The call for suspension follows Israel’s repeated defiance of binding orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which, in a case initiated by South Africa, directed Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid. Israeli authorities have also disregarded the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and condemning its settlement expansions as violations of international law.
In its advisory opinion, the ICJ also referenced states parties’ obligation to the Fourth Geneva Convention, including all EU member states, “to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law as embodied in that Convention,” urging states to take steps to prevent trade relations that assist Israel in maintaining the illegal situation in the occupied territories. Yet the EU, Israel’s largest trading partner, has not adopted any measure to leverage its economic relationship to ensure Israeli compliance with international humanitarian obligations and laws of war. Initially requested by Spain and Ireland, the suspension would not lead to a complete ban on trade but a reinstatement of tariffs on bilateral trade with Israel.
HRW reiterated that under the Genocide Convention, EU member states are legally obligated to prevent genocide using all reasonably available means. Claudio Francavilla, acting EU director at HRW, said, “Reviewing and suspending the agreement is a chance for the bloc to salvage what’s left of the credibility of its commitment to human rights and international law, and to finally take action to respond to Israeli authorities ongoing acts of genocide.”
The appeal comes ahead of a pivotal meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for June 23, where they will assess Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This clause identifies respect for human rights and democratic principles as essential to the agreement’s validity. If the EU suspends the agreement, tariffs on EU-Israel bilateral trade would be reinstated.
The ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict has further complicated diplomatic efforts. A UN-sponsored conference on a two-state solution, initially scheduled for mid-June, was postponed amid escalating regional tensions. Francavilla criticized EU member states for their inaction, warning that failure to suspend the agreement risks complicity in the alleged genocide.
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The organizations urged the EU to ensure that the review of “Israel’s compliance with article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is thorough, comprehensive, and credible.” The call for suspension follows Israel’s repeated defiance of binding orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which, in a case initiated by South Africa, directed Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid. Israeli authorities have also disregarded the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and condemning its settlement expansions as violations of international law.
In its advisory opinion, the ICJ also referenced states parties’ obligation to the Fourth Geneva Convention, including all EU member states, “to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law as embodied in that Convention,” urging states to take steps to prevent trade relations that assist Israel in maintaining the illegal situation in the occupied territories. Yet the EU, Israel’s largest trading partner, has not adopted any measure to leverage its economic relationship to ensure Israeli compliance with international humanitarian obligations and laws of war. Initially requested by Spain and Ireland, the suspension would not lead to a complete ban on trade but a reinstatement of tariffs on bilateral trade with Israel.
HRW reiterated that under the Genocide Convention, EU member states are legally obligated to prevent genocide using all reasonably available means. Claudio Francavilla, acting EU director at HRW, said, “Reviewing and suspending the agreement is a chance for the bloc to salvage what’s left of the credibility of its commitment to human rights and international law, and to finally take action to respond to Israeli authorities ongoing acts of genocide.”
The appeal comes ahead of a pivotal meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for June 23, where they will assess Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This clause identifies respect for human rights and democratic principles as essential to the agreement’s validity. If the EU suspends the agreement, tariffs on EU-Israel bilateral trade would be reinstated.
The ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict has further complicated diplomatic efforts. A UN-sponsored conference on a two-state solution, initially scheduled for mid-June, was postponed amid escalating regional tensions. Francavilla criticized EU member states for their inaction, warning that failure to suspend the agreement risks complicity in the alleged genocide.
A 15-month unrest between Hamas and Israel ended in January 2025 via a mediated cease-fire, only to see Israel renew its offensive in March across Gaza. The UN has reported severe restrictions on aid by Israel, forcing Palestinians to travel long distances to receive limited supplies. The human toll chronicled since October 7, 2023, shows that over 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza airstrikes and operations. The situation has deteriorated into a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 1.9 million people, or about 90 per cent of the population across the Gaza Strip, being internally displaced.
The post Over 110 organizations urge EU to suspend trade agreement with Israel over alleged atrocities appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.