Israel Violates the Limit, It's Time for the European Union to End the Partnership

Illustration of the Palestinian and European Union flags. (Twitter/@AmalJadou7)

JAKARTA - Amnesty International's Director of the European Institutions Office Eve Geddie said it was "time" for the European Union to end its partnership with Israel, noting Tel Aviv's recent policies in Palestine and Lebanon had "crossed a European red line."

Geddie's statement comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for Tuesday to discuss reimposing sanctions on Israel.

He explained that the European Union had concluded that "Israel has violated Article 2 of the Association Agreement between the two parties, which relates to human rights," reported WAFA (21/4)

"Israel has violated all the red lines set by the European Union," he continued.

Ghedi pointed to the passing of a law by Israel to impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners and increased attacks on Lebanon, considering this part of a broader context of violations, including genocide in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing occupation of the West Bank.

He noted that the support of European leaders for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, reflects the state of impunity, stressing that the European Union is obliged to stand with the victims of Israeli violations.

He indicated that European public opinion demands concrete measures against Israel, saying that people across the continent have "had enough" and demand justice, accountability, and an end to impunity.

In this context, the international official noted that more than one million signatures had been collected in three months as part of the "European Citizens" initiative, stressing that Amnesty International intends to launch a campaign targeting Germany and Italy to urge them to change their attitude towards Tel Aviv.

It is known that the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the fundamental legal framework for relations between the two parties, was signed in Brussels on November 20, 1995, and came into force on June 1, 2000.

Ghedi emphasized that the EU's continued negligence towards Tel Aviv could have an impact on several levels, including compliance with international law, the coherence of European positions, and the credibility of the Union.

He explained that the Association Agreement clearly establishes the link between trade privileges and respect for human rights, indicating that ignoring this would undermine the EU's legal obligations.