Latest news with #EU-IsraelAssociationAgreement
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Israel welcomes EU no response to Gaza, Palestinians are 'shocked'
The EU's recent decision not to act on Israel's war in Gaza is a 'diplomatic feat", Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in reaction, while his Palestinian counterpart, Varsen Aghabekian-Shahin, described it as 'shocking and disappointing'. On Tuesday, the 27 EU foreign ministers agreed to delay taking any action against Israel after examining an exhaustive list of 10 options to respond to Israel's breach of the EU-Israel Association Agreement over its failure to respect Palestinian human rights. The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the EU would keep the options, which included the suspension of visa-free travel and the blocking of imports from the Jewish settlements 'on the table' and 'stand ready to act if Israel does not live up to its pledges'. Following the meeting, Sa'ar wrote on X that his country had achieved 'an important diplomatic feat by managing to push back the obsessive attempts by several European Union countries to impose sanctions on Israel". 'The mere attempt to impose sanctions on a democratic state that is defending itself against attempts to destroy it is outrageous,' Sa'ar wrote. 'I thank our friends in the European Union and their foreign ministers, who supported us and prevented an attack on Israel that would also have been an attack on the European Union itself." By contrast, Aghabekian Shahin expressed disappointment and anger at the EU's inability to sanction a country it had earlier condemned. In May, the EU ordered a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement which later found "indications" that Israel breached its human rights obligations with actions in Gaza, by for example applying stringent conditions to the deliveries of humanitarian aid. 'It's shocking and disappointing, because everything is crystal clear. I mean, there's a new EU report that clearly stated that Israel has been violating ... 38 violations were indicated in that report. And it's an EU report,' Aghabekian Shahin told Euronews in an exclusive interview. 'These violations have been unfolding in front of everybody's eyes. The whole world has been seeing what is happening in Gaza. The killing, the atrocities, the war crimes,' Aghabekian Shahin added. The two also provided different responses to a recent deal struck by the EU with Israel to substantially increase the number of trucks of humanitarian aid including medical food items into Gaza. Sa'ar said his country had complied with the agreement while Aghabekian-Shahin insisted that since the agreement was made, 'we see more killings of people'. Earlier this week, the two ministers were in the same meeting as part of the EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial gathering in Brussels which is aimed at deepening the EU's cooperation with Israel as well as nine other southern partners including Syria and Libya. Sa'ar said the two didn't talk to each other, as the Palestinian Authority 'still sponsors terrorism, makes payments for terrorists and terrorist families', he said. It was the first time both sides were represented at high level in Brussels since Hamas October 7th terror attacks and the subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
French legal group to take EU to court for ‘failing to prevent Gaza genocide'
French and Belgian jurists are due to file a case before the EU Court of Justice (CJEU) on Thursday against the EU Commission and Council for alleged 'failure to prevent genocide' in Gaza. Legal proceedings will come on the back of the failure by EU ministers on Tuesday to agree on suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. A review of the deal had found that Israel is in breach of the human rights terms associated with the agreement. The EU-Israel agreement provides for preferential trade terms, cooperation on research, culture and security, and a framework for political dialogue. Its human rights clause, Article 2, states that respect for democratic principles and human rights is an essential element of the partnership. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The case, which will be filed in Luxembourg, is the first to challenge the two EU institutions for failing to act against Israel's devastating attack on Gaza. Israel's war on Gaza has been labelled a genocide by several EU members, including Spain, Ireland and Slovenia. The case will be filed by Jurists for the Respect of International Law (Jurdi), a French NGO, which sent formal notices on 12 and 15 May to the Commission and Council. They called for the suspension of cooperation agreements with Israel and for a halt to arms transfers amid the ongoing Israeli campaign, which is confirmed to have killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in 21 months. UN's Albanese calls out 'appalling' EU failure to sanction Israel as 32-nation summit in Bogota kicks off Read More » Jurdi is requesting that the CJEU formally acknowledge this failure to act, and order EU institutions to suspend cooperation with Israel, adopt targeted sanctions and fulfil their duty of prevention. Jurdi's president, Patrick Zahnd, told Middle East Eye that the group is also requesting the court issue a binding order for emergency measures. According to Jurdi, the European Commission incurs legal responsibility of EU institutions with respect to Articles 2, 3, 21, 29, and 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU–Israel Association Agreement and the peremptory norms of international law (jus cogens). The case argues that the EU violated four principles of international law, including the obligation to prevent genocide, the duty to end impediments to the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, the prohibition on recognition of or assistance to an unlawful situation, such as prolonged occupation, and the obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, particularly in the face of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 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 human rights provisions of the trade agreement. 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.
Barnama
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Former EU Foreign Policy Chief Slams Bloc's Failure To Act On Israel's Human Rights Violations
BRUSSELS, July 16 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The European Council missed its chance this week to do something to stop Israel's 'war crimes' and genocide in Gaza, according to a former EU foreign policy chief, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. "@EUCouncil failed yesterday to take a decision on Israel's violation of the Association Agreement's Human Rights clause. But this is in itself a decision: not to punish Israel's continued war crimes and allow the genocide in Gaza to continue unabated," Josep Borrell wrote on X on Wednesday. The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs political and economic ties between the two parties, includes a binding clause requiring respect for human rights and democratic principles. Failure to comply with this clause can lead to sanctions or suspension of the agreement. bootstrap slideshow EU foreign ministers met on Monday and Tuesday to discuss growing concerns over Israel's attacks in Gaza, amid mounting civilian casualties and international calls for accountability. However, member states were unable to reach a consensus, resulting in no formal decision to suspend the agreement or impose sanctions. Borrell, who concluded his term as the EU's top diplomat last year, has been a vocal critic of Israel's attacks and has previously called for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which gives Tel Aviv preferential trade terms. Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing over 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
The National
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Refusal to suspend EU-Israel deal ‘cruel and unlawful betrayal'
It comes as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday to decide whether to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a trade and cooperation deal that gives Israel preferential access to the EU market. Member states were presented with 10 options, including: Full suspension of the agreement The EU suspension of its preferential trade and/or research pillars An arms embargo Sanctions on Israeli ministers Halting visa-free travel for Israeli citizens to the EU Banning trade with Israeli settlements However, none of the options gathered the necessary support during the meeting. Reacting to the decision, Amnesty International's secretary general Agnès Callamard said: 'The EU's refusal to suspend its agreement with Israel is a cruel and unlawful betrayal of the European project and vision, predicated on upholding international law and fighting authoritarian practices, of the European Union's own rules and of the human rights of Palestinians. READ MORE: Activists 'to defy Labour with illegal pro-Palestine T-shirts' at Edinburgh protest "This will be remembered as one of the most disgraceful moments in the EU's history." Callamard (below) said European leaders had been given the opportunity to take "a principled stand" against Israel's crimes, but instead gave it "a greenlight to continue its genocide in Gaza, its unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and its system of apartheid against Palestinians". Callamard added: 'The EU's own review has clearly found that Israel is violating its human rights obligations under the terms of the Association Agreement. Yet, instead of taking measures to stop it and prevent their own complicity, member states chose to maintain a preferential trade deal over respecting their international obligations and saving Palestinian lives. 'This is more than political cowardice. Every time the EU fails to act, the risk of complicity in Israel's actions grows. This sends an extremely dangerous message to perpetrators of atrocity crimes that they will not only go unpunished but be rewarded. 'Victims are entitled to far more than empty words." Callamard urged member states to take action individually or unilaterally to suspend all forms of cooperation with Israel that may contribute to its violations of international law, including a comprehensive embargo on the export of arms and surveillance equipment and related technology, and a total ban on trade with, and investment in, Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The National
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
EU refusal to suspend Israel deal is ‘cruel and unlawful betrayal'
It comes as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday to decide whether to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Member states were presented with 10 options, including: Full suspension of the agreement The EU suspension of its preferential trade and/or research pillars An arms embargo Sanctions on Israeli ministers Halting visa-free travel for Israeli citizens to the EU Banning trade with Israeli settlements None of these options gathered the necessary support during the meeting. READ MORE: Activists 'to defy Labour with illegal pro-Palestine T-shirts' at Edinburgh protest Reacting to the decision, Amnesty International's secretary general Agnès Callamard said: 'The EU's refusal to suspend its agreement with Israel is a cruel and unlawful betrayal – of the European project and vision, predicated on upholding international law and fighting authoritarian practices, of the European Union's own rules and of the human rights of Palestinians. "This will be remembered as one of the most disgraceful moments in the EU's history." Callamard (below) said European leaders had been given the opportunity to take "a principled stand" against Israel's crimes, but instead gave it "a greenlight to continue its genocide in Gaza, its unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and its system of apartheid against Palestinians". Callamard added: 'The EU's own review has clearly found that Israel is violating its human rights obligations under the terms of the Association Agreement. Yet, instead of taking measures to stop it and prevent their own complicity, member states chose to maintain a preferential trade deal over respecting their international obligations and saving Palestinian lives. 'This is more than political cowardice. Every time the EU fails to act, the risk of complicity in Israel's actions grows. This sends an extremely dangerous message to perpetrators of atrocity crimes that they will not only go unpunished but be rewarded. 'Victims are entitled to far more than empty words." Callamard urged member states to take action individually or unilaterally to suspend all forms of cooperation with Israel that may contribute to its violations of international law, including a comprehensive embargo on the export of arms and surveillance equipment and related technology, and a total ban on trade with, and investment in, Israel's illegal settlements in the OPT.
