
EU review of Israel ties ‘devastatingly late': Amnesty
LONDON: The EU's decision to review trade and cooperation with Israel in light of concerns over the Gaza war is 'devastatingly late,' Amnesty International has said.
On Tuesday, the European Commission agreed to conduct a review into Israel's potential violation of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The article mandates respect for human rights and democratic principles from both parties.
Seventeen EU member states raised objections to Israel's conduct in Gaza and demanded the review.
Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty's European Institutions Office, said: 'While this is a welcome first step, it also comes devastatingly late. The extent of human suffering in Gaza for the past 19 months has been unimaginable. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza with chilling impunity.'
The NGO has long called for a review of the EU's association agreement with Israel. It has cited Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territory as a key violation of the agreement.
Israel's conduct in Gaza has only strengthened calls for a review into European trade with the country.
'Emboldened by EU inaction — and even backed by some EU states — Israeli leaders have flaunted their genocidal aims,' Geddie said.
'The EU's unofficial policy of appeasement towards Israel is contrary to its member states' obligations and will forever be judged in the annals of history.'
Geddie warned that any delay in European action would 'cost human lives in Gaza.' She called for the EU to immediately suspend all trade linked to Israel's settlement industry, which has expanded significantly amid the war in Gaza.
'The stakes are too high. If the EU fails to live up to these obligations as a bloc, and seeks to shield itself from its clear legal obligations, its member states must unilaterally suspend all forms of cooperation that may contribute to violations of international law,' Geddie said.
After the EU agreed to probe ties with Israel, Amnesty said it would now focus on pushing for a 'meaningful review which takes evidence and international standards into account.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Inside LA immigration protests and a British surgeon's harrowing return from Gaza
In today's edition of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we're on the ground in the United States after four nights of protests in Los Angeles. Thousands have taken to the streets to denounce recent shifts in US immigration policy. With exclusive eyewitness accounts and expert analysis, we explore the voices fueling the movement, the impact on migrant communities, and the growing political fallout, including a heated row between President Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom over the deployment of the military to Los Angeles. We also turn to Gaza. In an exclusive and deeply moving interview, British surgeon Dr. Victoria Rose shares what she witnessed during her recent mission there. She recounts the harrowing realities faced by medical teams, the lives lost, and the vast humanitarian needs still unmet. This is a firsthand account of courage, tragedy, and resilience, and the ongoing struggle of medical staff working in some of the world's most heartbreaking conditions. Guests:

Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel's Smotrich cancels waiver allowing Israeli and Palestinian banks to work together
Israel cancelled a waiver on Tuesday t hat had allowed Israeli banks to work with Palestinian ones, threatening to paralyze Palestinian financial institutions, Israel's finance ministry said in a statement. 'Against the backdrop of the Palestinian Authority's delegitimization campaign against the State of Israel internationally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has instructed Accountant General CPA Yahli Rotenberg to cancel the indemnity provided to correspondent banks dealing with banks operating in Palestinian Authority territories,' the ministry said. Smotrich had threatened in May 2024 to cut the vital connection between Israel and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the recognition of the State of Palestine by three European countries. The Palestinian financial and banking system is dependent on the regular renewal of the Israeli waiver. It protects Israeli banks from potential legal action relating to transactions with their Palestinian counterparts, for instance in relation to financing terror. In July, G7 countries urged Israel to 'take necessary action' to ensure the continuity of Palestinian financial systems. It came after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that 'to cut Palestinian banks from Israeli counterparts would create a humanitarian crisis.' The overwhelming majority of exchanges in the West Bank are in shekels, Israel's national currency.


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel cancels waiver allowing Israeli and Palestinian banks to work together
JERUSALEM: Israel canceled a waiver on Tuesday that had allowed Israeli banks to work with Palestinian ones, threatening to paralyze Palestinian financial institutions, Israel's finance ministry said in a statement. 'Against the backdrop of the Palestinian Authority's delegitimization campaign against the State of Israel internationally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has instructed Accountant General CPA Yahli Rotenberg to cancel the indemnity provided to correspondent banks dealing with banks operating in Palestinian Authority territories,' the ministry said. Smotrich had threatened in May 2024 to cut the vital connection between Israel and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the recognition of the State of Palestine by three European countries. The Palestinian financial and banking system is dependent on the regular renewal of the Israeli waiver. It protects Israeli banks from potential legal action relating to transactions with their Palestinian counterparts, for instance in relation to financing terror. In July, G7 countries urged Israel to 'take necessary action' to ensure the continuity of Palestinian financial systems. It came after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that 'to cut Palestinian banks from Israeli counterparts would create a humanitarian crisis.' The overwhelming majority of exchanges in the West Bank are in shekels, Israel's national currency, because the Palestinian Authority does not have a central bank that would allow it to print its own currency.