Human rights organisations call on EU to suspend Israel trade

RTÉ News​

4 hours ago

Over 100 international human rights and humanitarian organisations, as well as trade unions, have jointly called on the EU to suspend elements of its trade association with Israel as a result of its continuing war on Gaza.
The signatories of the joint statement - published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) - include ActionAid Ireland, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Oxfam Ireland.
The EU is currently reviewing Israel's compliance with the EU-Israel Association Agreement, in particular Article 2, which binds both sides to human rights and international humanitarian law obligations.
EU foreign ministers are expected to address the review at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, although it is unclear yet if member states will agree to suspend elements of the trade agreement.
The statement, signed by 113 organisations, called on the EU to "ensure that the ongoing review of Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement be thorough, comprehensive, and credible.
"Article 2 establishes that respect for human rights and democratic principles constitutes an 'essential element' of the agreement.
"Amid overwhelming evidence of Israel's atrocity crimes and other egregious human rights abuses against Palestinians throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), a credible review can only reach one conclusion: that Israel is in severe non-compliance with Article 2."
The statement calls on the European Commission and all member states to support "meaningful and concrete measures, including the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, at least in part."
'Appalled'
The signatories say they are "appalled" that it took the EU so long to launch the review, despite an initial request by Spain and Ireland in February 2024.
A review was finally ordered by the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas last month after a majority of EU foreign ministers supported a Dutch proposal to test whether Israel was not complying with Article 2.
The statement pointed to international court rulings, arrest warrants issued by International Criminal Court, and numerous reports by UN bodies, independent experts, prominent NGOs and scholars which "[exposed] Israel's very serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the Occupied Territories, including war crimes, crimes against humanity - including forced displacement, apartheid and extermination - and genocide."
South Africa has taken a case to the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel is responsible for genocide in the conduct of its war in Gaza. The case is ongoing.
The joint statement says that despite similar findings being presented to EU foreign ministers in November 2024, the only action taken was a convening of the EU-Israel Association Council in February.
Despite ministers at that meeting calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid at scale, full respect for international humanitarian law and a halting of Israel's illegal settlement policy, "Israeli authorities blatantly did the exact opposite of all that, [with] once again to no consequence for EU-Israel bilateral relations – until now."
The statement adds that there were three separate binding rulings issued by the ICJ following Israel's decision to blockade humanitarian aid from entering Gaza which called on the government to allow the unhindered access of aid.
"As parties to the Genocide Convention, all EU member states have the obligation to 'employ all means reasonably available to them' to prevent a genocide," the statement said.
"That obligation arises not when a definitive judicial determination is made, but as soon as a state learns, or should normally have learned, of a serious risk that genocide may be committed."