The undersigned human rights and humanitarian organizations and trade unions urge 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.
In light of this, we call on the European Commission and all EU Member States to support meaningful and concrete measures, including the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, at least in part.
We are appalled that it took the EU so long to launch this review, despite a request by Spain and Ireland already in February 2024, international court rulings, arrest warrants issued by International Criminal Court, and numerous reports by UN bodies, independent experts, prominent NGOs and scholars exposing Israel’s very serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the OPT, including war crimes, crimes against humanity - including forced displacement, apartheid and extermination - and genocide.
Some of these findings were presented to EU foreign ministers in November 2024; but instead of moving towards the suspension of the agreement and taking other appropriate measures, the ministers only agreed to convene a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council, in which they called for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid at scale, full respect for IHL, and a halting of Israel’s illegal settlement policy. Israeli authorities blatantly did the exact opposite of all that, once again to no consequence for EU-Israel bilateral relations – until now.
The context in which this review is being conducted is dramatic and requires urgent and effective action. For months, Israel has completely blocked aid from entering the occupied Gaza Strip, and then tried to replace the UN-led humanitarian aid system in Gaza with military-led distribution hubs, where high numbers of killings of civilians seeking aid have been recorded. This is in breach of Israel’s obligations under IHL as an occupying power, and of three binding rulings issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January, March and May 2024, ordering Israeli authorities to allow the unhindered provision of urgently needed humanitarian aid at scale throughout Gaza to prevent a genocide.
This, along with the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza targeting life-sustaining infrastructures, healthcare facilities, shelters, and killing and maiming thousands of civilians since a fragile ceasefire was broken, has continued to cause unspeakable suffering to the illegally besieged Palestinians in Gaza.
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. 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. The International Court of Justice provided clear guidance in that regard. EU action is long overdue.
But while Gaza might have been the trigger for launching the review of article 2 of the Association Agreement, the scope of the review is broader, concerning Israel’s respect for “human rights and democratic principles”. We note, in that regard, the landmark July 2024 advisory opinion by the ICJ, which found Israel’s occupation of the OPT to be illegal, in breach of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and characterised by other serious violations, including systematic discrimination and racial segregation, as well as unlawful violence and displacement, demolitions, illegal settlements expansion and land seizure. In September, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution largely endorsing that ruling, and formulating a series of calls that have been ignored by Israeli authorities. Furthermore, reports from human rights groups and UN investigations also highlight torture against Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, leading to multiple deaths.
In this context, a weak or inconclusive review of Israel’s compliance with article 2, and/or failure by the Commission and Council to suspend at least part of the Association Agreement, would ultimately destroy what’s left of the EU’s credibility - and, most importantly, it would further embolden Israeli authorities to continue their atrocity crimes and other egregious violations against the Palestinians in total impunity.
The EU must act now, as it long should have.
11.11.11
Academics for Palestine
Action for Women
ActionAid Denmark
ActionAid France
ActionAid Ireland
ActionAid Italy
AFPS
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Ambasada Rog
Amnesty International
ARSIS - Association for the Social Support of Youth
Association Belgo-Palestinienne WB
Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
AVAAZ
Belgian Academics and Artists for Palestine (BA4P)
Bloody Sunday Trust
Broederlijk Delen
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Centre for Global Education
CGT (Confédération générale du Travail)
Changemakers Lab
Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
Christian Aid Ireland
CIDAC
CIDSE - international family of Catholic social justice organisations
Collectif Judéo-Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine (CJACP)
Comhlámh
Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe
Cospe
CRID
Culture de Palestine
Danes je nov dan
De-Colonizer
Defence for Children International
Diakonia
DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against Torture
Društvo Humanitas - center za globalno učenje in sodelovanje
Dutch Scholars for Palestine
Ekō
Entraide et Fraternité
Equal Legal Aid
Eurocadres
EuroMed Rights
European Coordination of Committees and Association for Palestine - ECCP
European Jews for Palestine
European Middle East Project (EuMEP)
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine
Fédération Artisans du Monde
Fenix Humanitarian Legal Aid
FGTB-ABVV
Finnish Arab Friendsip Society
Finnish Development NGOs - Fingo
Finnwatch ry
Fundación Mundubat
Gibanje za pravice Palestincev
Hellenic League for Human Rights
Human Rights Watch
Humanity & Inclusion - Handicap International
HUSOME
Institute 8th of March
International Federation for Human Rights - FIDH
International Media Support
International Rehabilitation Council of Torture Victims (IRCT)
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Irish Anti War Movement
Irish Council for Civil Liberties
Jewish Call for Peace
Kairos Ireland
La Cimade
La Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo
LAB Sindikatua Basque Country
Mouvement de la paix france
MPPM - Movimento pelos Direitos do Povo Palestino e pela Paz no Médio Oriente
My Voice, My Choice
NWRG (New Wepons Research Group) odv
Olof Palme International Center
OVCA - society for awareness raising and protection - center of antidiscrimination
Oxfam Ireland
Parents for Peace
PAX
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Vlaanderen (Belgium)
Peace Institute
PIC - Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
Plan International EU Liaison Office
Plataforma por Empresas Responsables
Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine
Polish-Palestinian Justice Initiative KAKTUS
Proja institute
Research and Universities for Palestine Network-Italy
Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance
Samos Volunteers
SB OVERSEAS - SOUTIEN BELGE OUTRE-FRONTIERES
SETEM Catalunya
Sindikat Mladi plus (Trade Union Youth Plus)
Slovene Philanthropy, Association for the Promotion of Volunteering
SOLIDAR
Solsoc
The European Legal Support Center (ELSC)
The Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden
The Rights Forum
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union/ Aontas Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide
UGT SPAIN
Union juive française pour la paix
Union syndicale Solidaires
United Against Inhumanity (UAI)
Viva Salud
Vrede vzw (Belgium)
Vredesactie
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Yoga and Sport With Refugees
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