Brussels – SABA:
A total of 114 international civil society organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called on the European Union on Monday to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel due to its commission of genocide against Palestinians and other serious violations.
In a joint statement issued ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting—scheduled to review the suspension of the agreement—the organizations asserted that an honest review must conclude that Israel has seriously breached the agreement’s human rights clause.
Claudio Francavilla, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch’s EU office, said in a press statement that dialogue with Israel has largely failed, and that pro-Palestine protests have continued across Europe for months, fueled by harrowing scenes widely shared on social media showing atrocities and brutality in Gaza.
Francavilla stressed that the review of the partnership agreement would be meaningless without real consequences, including suspending the trade component of the agreement.
He also noted that Israeli human rights groups have documented that only around 3% of crimes committed in the West Bank are prosecuted, highlighting a serious lack of judicial accountability in Israel.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, serves as the legal framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two sides. Article 2 of the agreement conditions the partnership on a commitment to human rights and international law.
With continued U.S. and European support, Israel has been carrying out a campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023, that has resulted in the deaths of 55,998 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and the injury of 131,559 others, according to the latest incomplete tolls. Thousands of victims remain trapped under rubble or in unreachable areas.