UN's Albanese calls out 'appalling' EU failure to sanction Israel as 32-nation summit in Bogota kicks off
The 'emergency summit' is co-hosted by the governments of Colombia and South Africa as co-chairs of The Hague Group, to coordinate diplomatic and legal action to counter what they describe as 'a climate of impunity' enabled by Israel and its powerful allies.
The Hague Group is a bloc of currently eight states, launched on 31 January in the eponymous Dutch city with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law.
The group is working on a joint declaration outlining a series of proposed actions to be announced at the end of the conference on Wednesday.
At the opening on Tuesday, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, denounced the failure of the international system to protect the Palestinian people.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
'For too long, international law has been treated as optional - applied selectively to those perceived as weak, ignored by those acting as the powerful,' Albanese said. 'This double standard has eroded the very foundations of the legal order. That era must end. The law must either be universal, or it will cease to mean anything at all. No one can afford this selective approach.'
Albanese also addressed the sanctions imposed against her last week by the US. 'These attacks shall not be seen as against me personally. They are a warning to everyone who dares defend international justice and freedom. This is not about me or any other single individuals, but about justice for the Palestinian people at the most critical juncture in their history.'
'Enough impunity'
Framing the Bogota Conference as a watershed moment, the special rapporteur said: 'Here in Bogota, a growing number of states have the opportunity to break the silence and revert to a path of legality by finally saying: enough. Enough impunity. Enough empty rhetoric. Enough exceptionalism. Enough complicity. The time has come to act in pursuit of justice and peace - grounded in rights and freedoms for all, and not mere privileges for some, at the expense of the annihilation of others.'
Albanese concluded that the UN Charter and universal human rights instruments must remain everyone's compass. 'I trust that more States will align their policies with these fundamental principles as we move forward in this existential hour - for both the Palestinian and the Israeli people, and the integrity of the international legal order itself.'
Riyad Mansour, Palestine's UN envoy, expressed his support for The Hague Group in his opening remarks.
'Israel must not be allowed to actively and practically take over the occupied territory of Palestine and ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people while some states debate whether or not to recognise Palestine,' he said. 'Recognising Palestine is not a symbolic act – it is a concrete act of defence against erasure and an unequivocal rejection of colonial expansionism.
State representatives attend the opening conference of The Hague Group summit in Bogota, 15 July 2025 (Progressive International)
'I stand here amongst many friends, representing states that took this principled step, understanding its significance – and importantly, matching this recognition with actions to curb illegal Israeli acts, including stopping the sales of arms and banning the trade in stolen goods from illegal settlements.'
In addition to Colombia and South Africa, states attending the summit include Algeria, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Qatar, Turkey, Slovenia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay and Venezuela.
EU stance 'appalling'
At a press conference following the opening speeches, Albanese sharply criticised the EU's failure to reach a consensus on imposing new sanctions against Israel.
'It is clear the EU, for whatever reasons – be it affinity with Israel and its ideology, political convenience, or other interests including those of companies, as Europe is a huge trade partner of Israel – is putting the right to life of millions of people to the side,' Albanese said in response to a question by Middle East Eye.
On Tuesday, the EU's 27 foreign ministers in Brussels failed to agree on the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. They also failed to agree on nine other possible measures against Israel put forward after it was found to have breached the human rights provisions of the trade agreement.
Exclusive: Spain and Ireland to join more than 30 states to declare 'concrete measures' against Israel Read More »
The measures that would have been agreed on Tuesday included full suspension of the agreement, suspension of its preferential trade provisions, an arms embargo, sanctions on Israeli ministers, or imposing a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine.
While countries such as Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have publicly supported imposing sanctions, others, including Germany, Austria, Czechia and Hungary, have expressed opposition.
'It is appalling. That agreement was a disgrace the moment the EU entered it,' Albanese said at the press conference in the Palacio de San Carlos, seat of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Colombia. 'The fact that it has been renewed in the face of the total destruction of Gaza marks probably the lowest point of the EU towards a policy, the celebration of double standards, and the betrayal of European values.'
During her opening speech in Bogota, where members of The Hague Group - Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa - were joined by representatives from 25 additional nations and various UN agencies, Albanese called out the EU for its silence on Israel's onslaught on Gaza, which she has labelled a genocide.
'As a European, I fear what the region and its institutions have come to symbolise to many: a sodality of states preaching international law yet guided more by colonial mindset than principle, acting as vassals to the US empire, even as it drags us from war to war, misery to misery and when it comes to Palestine: from silence to complicity,' she remarked.
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, has called on all states to cut ties with Israel during a meeting in Colombia's capital, Bogota, on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/qxi1h69a5e — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 16, 2025
'The importance of this meeting convened by The Hague Group lies in moving from words to action and halting the genocide, drawing the world's attention to Palestine, defending the human rights system, multilateralism, and ensuring justice for the perpetrators of the genocide in Palestine,' said Colombia's vice minister of multilateral affairs, Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir, on Tuesday.
The group will discuss pushing for actions that include enforcing International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, halting arms supplies to Israel and blocking Israeli military-linked ships from their ports.
The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, the latter being amongst the most vocal global leaders in denouncing Israel's war on Gaza. Last year, Colombian President Gustavo Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel, suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants, and swore in the first Colombian ambassador to the State of Palestine. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since labelled the Colombian president an 'anti-Semite' and a 'Hamas supporter'.
South Africa initiated a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, a move supported by approximately two dozen other countries.
Israel's war on Gaza, increasingly condemned by experts and governments as a genocide, has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians and displaced almost the entire population since October 2023. The onslaught has left the Palestinian enclave barely habitable and has left two million people starving.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
MAGA acolyte Marjorie Taylor Greene votes alongside Tlaib and Omar to cut US funding for Israel
Hardline America Firster and staunch Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene voted alongside progressive Democrat Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to strip Israel of $500m in US funding, hours after it bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. The House of Representatives, however, rejected in a 422-6 vote on Thursday, to cut funding for the Israeli Cooperative Program - an agreement through which the US provides Israel with $500m to boost its missile programmes. It is a separate allocation from the $3.3bn the US sends Israel as "security assistance" every year. "Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza," Greene told her colleagues in a rare statement from a Republican. "My amendment would strike $500m in funding for nuclear-armed Israel's missile defence system. The US already provides Israel with $3.8bn annually in foreign aid. 3.8 billion. That's a lot of money," she said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Additionally, the April 2024 security supplemental included $8.7bn for Israel, even though Israel - nuclear-armed Israel - has universal healthcare for their citizens and subsidized college for their citizens," she added. "Here in America, we're $37tn in debt. My amendment will ensure an America First department of defence, and that is exactly what we need." That security supplemental, pushed by the Biden administration, provided increased support to Israel for its Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Iron Beam defence structures - among other military backing - in response to the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Greene had altogether introduced six amendments to reduce foreign spending in the defence appropriations bill, a massive annual funding agreement that lawmakers must pass to fund the Pentagon's operations for the following year. All of them failed. Only six members of Congress voted to withhold $500m to Israel, after 21 months of its war on Gaza, which has left more than 58,000 Palestinians dead, most of them women and children. The House ultimately approved $832bn in 2026 US military spending. 'Loyalty to a foreign country' Greene's comments on the House floor were not her first criticism of Israel's hold on Washington's policymaking. In an appearance on Conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson's online show last month, she shared her frustration with what she described as a consistent attempt to appease Israel in Congress. "Since I've become a member of Congress - since 2021 - we have voted on 22 resolutions for Israel," she said. "We never vote on resolutions proclaiming great things about America, or defending certain Americans." Carlson asked Greene what had changed her mind now. "It's coming to a point where it's so obvious all the time, in everyone's language, the social media posts they put out, the statements that they make. They have to proclaim Israel. They have to proclaim their faith and loyalty in Israel," she responded. Trump's pick for UN ambassador says he'll use aid as 'leverage' for African votes Read More » "It's becoming like, wait a minute, what about our own country? What about our own people?" Citing her own children, who are in their 20s, Greene referred to the financial struggles of young Americans. "They can't afford rent. They can't afford to buy a house. They can't afford insurance. They can't buy a new car. They can't find a good-paying job," she said. "It seems hopeless for them, but then in Congress, everyone is chasing and pursuing and proclaiming their loyalty to a foreign country." Greene had disagreed with President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites in June, and took to the online programme of another leading MAGA (Make America Great Again) voice, Steve Bannon, where she insisted that "We are bombing Iran on behalf of Israel," and that "Fox News brainwashes all the baby boomers" as it cheerleads US wars. It has become clearer that the MAGA branch of the Republican Party is mounting an anti-war campaign that goes so far as to align itself with the progressive left. Both Carlson and Bannon, both of whom have long had the president's ear, have recently made their critical views known on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and war with Iran to their combined millions of listeners. "I grew up in a world that espoused violence. That's what the US government does," Carlson told Bannon last month.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
'We fled a civil war': Syrian civilians bear the brunt of Sweida sectarian violence
Not a single civilian remained in Mazraa, a Druze-majority town in the western suburbs of Sweida in Syria, on Friday. Thick black smoke billowed over the city as Bedouin fighters roamed the roads in cars and on scooters, after having effectively taken control of the town. Torched and looted buildings stood silent watch over streets lined with charred vehicles. One fighter, wearing a Lacoste cap, chanted 'Allahu akbar' while standing behind a wall scrawled with graffiti reading 'Druze pigs' and 'Down with the collaborators'. The Druze, a religious minority whose beliefs derive from a branch of Islam, also have communities in Lebanon and Israel. Israel has long portrayed itself as a protector of the Druze. The renewed violence on the outskirts of Sweida erupted despite a fragile ceasefire reached on Wednesday, which halted four days of indiscriminate bloodshed in the Druze-majority city. The fighting, which began on Sunday as tit-for-tat attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze militias, two long-standing rivals, quickly escalated into widespread violence. Government forces intervened to quell the clashes, but were accused of committing widespread abuses against the Druze. Israel also joined the fray, launching attacks on government forces, saying it was acting to protect the Druze. A ceasefire reached on Wednesday had raised hopes for a return to calm after days of mayhem. But the respite was short lived. Hours after the ceasefire was agreed, Druze militiamen launched retaliatory attacks on Sunni Bedouin communities, according to Syria's state news agency, Sana, which condemned what it called 'violations' against local Bedouin tribes. Sectarian clashes reignited. On Thursday night, Bedouin tribes advanced towards the city of Sweida and set fire to properties in Druze-majority villages in the western suburbs of the regional capital, including Mazraa. Fierce fighting continued on Friday in the nearby village of Walgha, pitting Druze militia factions against Bedouin tribes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said no casualties had been reported so far from the renewed fighting. There was no presence of Syrian government forces in Mazraa, after they withdrew from Sweida province following the ceasefire. Security General convoys were seen on Friday driving in Deraa province, located east of Sweida, but did not enter the area. At least 594 people have been killed in Sweida province in the recent violence, including civilians and fighters from Bedouin groups, Druze militias and government forces, SOHR said on Thursday evening. The monitor said 300 members of the Druze religious minority were killed, including 146 fighters and 154 civilians. At least 257 government personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were also killed, while three Bedouin civilians were executed by Druze fighters, SOHR added. The UN's migration agency said on Friday that nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by sectarian violence. Civilians bearing the brunt Civilians from both sides have been bearing the brunt of the vicious violence. Inside Sweida, residents said a precarious calm had held throughout the day, despite fighting raging on the outskirts of the city and fears it could spread further. Many described harrowing scenes as they ventured back into the streets after days of confinement amid indiscriminate shelling, with bodies lying in the streets, torched cars and looted homes. Ramzi, who had evacuated to a safer area in the southern part of the province before fighting resumed, said he returned on Friday morning to find his home looted. 'They stole everything. Everything,' he said. Locals, speaking to The National by phone under pseudonyms for security reasons, said the city was completely sealed off. 'Sweida is under siege,' said Cham, adding that they only had some flour and vegetables left and were running low on infant formula. Amid the escalating humanitarian crisis, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management announced on Friday the creation of a joint operations room to co-ordinate relief, evacuation and ambulance services. It said hundreds of families had been evacuated to safer areas. A dozens of kilometres from Sweida, in the town of Busra Al Harir, in neighbouring Deraa province, many displaced Bedouin families were seen camping in the open on Thursday. Families said they fled out of fear of reprisals by Druze factions in Sweida. Among them was Jumaa Al Khalaf, 70, who fled his village. 'We were displaced because Druze fighters told us, that if they find us, they will kill us,' he said. 'We ask the authorities to hear our voice. We need aid. We need tarpaulins, we need tents,' Mr Al Khalaf said. 'We fled a civil war. We are with none of the sides. We've been here for about 15 years, just trying to make a living.'
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
'We fled a civil war': civilians bear the brunt of Sweida sectarian violence
Not a single civilian remained in Mazraa, a Druze-majority town in the western suburbs of Sweida in Syria, on Friday. Thick black smoke billowed over the city as Bedouin fighters roamed the roads in cars and on scooters, after having effectively taken control of the town. Torched and looted buildings stood silent watch over streets lined with charred vehicles. One fighter, wearing a Lacoste cap, chanted 'Allahu akbar' while standing behind a wall scrawled with graffiti reading 'Druze pigs' and 'Down with the collaborators'. The Druze, a religious minority whose beliefs derive from a branch of Islam, also have communities in Lebanon and Israel. Israel has long portrayed itself as a protector of the Druze. The renewed violence on the outskirts of Sweida erupted despite a fragile ceasefire reached on Wednesday, which halted four days of indiscriminate bloodshed in the Druze-majority city. The fighting, which began on Sunday as tit-for-tat attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze militias, two long-standing rivals, quickly escalated into widespread violence. Government forces intervened to quell the clashes, but were accused of committing widespread abuses against the Druze. Israel also joined the fray, launching attacks on government forces, saying it was acting to protect the Druze. A ceasefire reached on Wednesday had raised hopes for a return to calm after days of mayhem. But the respite was short lived. Hours after the ceasefire was agreed, Druze militiamen launched retaliatory attacks on Sunni Bedouin communities, according to Syria's state news agency, Sana, which condemned what it called 'violations' against local Bedouin tribes. Sectarian clashes reignited. On Thursday night, Bedouin tribes advanced towards the city of Sweida and set fire to properties in Druze-majority villages in the western suburbs of the regional capital, including Mazraa. Fierce fighting continued on Friday in the nearby village of Walgha, pitting Druze militia factions against Bedouin tribes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said no casualties had been reported so far from the renewed fighting. There was no presence of Syrian government forces in Mazraa, after they withdrew from Sweida province following the ceasefire. Security General convoys were seen on Friday driving in Deraa province, located east of Sweida, but did not enter the area. At least 594 people have been killed in Sweida province in the recent violence, including civilians and fighters from Bedouin groups, Druze militias and government forces, SOHR said on Thursday evening. The monitor said 300 members of the Druze religious minority were killed, including 146 fighters and 154 civilians. At least 257 government personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were also killed, while three Bedouin civilians were executed by Druze fighters, SOHR added. The UN's migration agency said on Friday that nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by sectarian violence. Civilians bearing the brunt Civilians from both sides have been bearing the brunt of the vicious violence. Inside Sweida, residents said a precarious calm had held throughout the day, despite fighting raging on the outskirts of the city and fears it could spread further. Many described harrowing scenes as they ventured back into the streets after days of confinement amid indiscriminate shelling, with bodies lying in the streets, torched cars and looted homes. Ramzi, who had evacuated to a safer area in the southern part of the province before fighting resumed, said he returned on Friday morning to find his home looted. 'They stole everything. Everything,' he said. Locals, speaking to The National by phone under pseudonyms for security reasons, said the city was completely sealed off. 'Sweida is under siege,' said Cham, adding that they only had some flour and vegetables left and were running low on infant formula. Amid the escalating humanitarian crisis, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management announced on Friday the creation of a joint operations room to co-ordinate relief, evacuation and ambulance services. It said hundreds of families had been evacuated to safer areas. A dozens of kilometres from Sweida, in the town of Busra Al Harir, in neighbouring Deraa province, many displaced Bedouin families were seen camping in the open on Thursday. Families said they fled out of fear of reprisals by Druze factions in Sweida. Among them was Jumaa Al Khalaf, 70, who fled his village. 'We were displaced because Druze fighters told us, that if they find us, they will kill us,' he said. 'We ask the authorities to hear our voice. We need aid. We need tarpaulins, we need tents,' Mr Al Khalaf said. 'We fled a civil war. We are with none of the sides. We've been here for about 15 years, just trying to make a living.'
