AhlulBayt News Agency: A coalition of 114 international civil society organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, has urged the European Union to suspend its long-standing partnership agreement with Israel, citing ongoing genocide in Gaza and systematic human rights violations.
The appeal was made in a joint statement released Monday, ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting to assess whether Israel’s actions violate Article 2 of the agreement, which requires adherence to human rights and international law.
The organizations called for an impartial review and urged the EU to determine that Israel has seriously breached the agreement, particularly in light of its conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.
Claudio Francavilla, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s EU office, stated that dialogue with Israel has failed, and widespread protests across Europe reflect public outrage over the atrocities being documented.
Francavilla emphasized that any EU review would be meaningless without concrete action, including suspending trade and cooperation with Israel.
He also cited data from Israeli rights groups showing that fewer than 3% of crimes by settlers and occupation forces are prosecuted, highlighting a lack of accountability.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, active since 2000, governs political and economic relations. Its human rights clause is under scrutiny amid the Gaza conflict, which has left over 187,000 Palestinians dead or injured.
European institutions are under growing pressure to align their policies with international law and human rights commitments.
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