London (UNA/WAFA) – Eve Geddie, director of the European Institutions Office at Amnesty International, said that “the time has come” to end the European Union’s partnership with Israel, noting that Tel Aviv’s recent policies in Palestine and Lebanon have “crossed European red lines.”.
Ghedi's remarks came ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for Tuesday, which will discuss reimposing sanctions on Israel..
She explained that the European Union had previously concluded that “Israel violated Article 2 of the partnership agreement between the two sides, which relates to human rights.”".
She added that “Israel has crossed all the red lines set by the Union".
The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the basic legal framework for relations between the two sides. It was signed in Brussels on November 20, 1995 and entered into force on June 1, 2000..
Ghedi pointed to Israel's passage of a law to apply the death penalty to Palestinian prisoners and its escalation of attacks on Lebanon, considering this part of a broader context of violations, including genocide in the Gaza Strip and the continued occupation of the West Bank..
She pointed out that the support of European leaders for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, reflects a state of “impunity,” stressing that the European Union is required to stand with the victims of Israeli violations..
She noted that European public opinion is demanding concrete steps against Israel, saying that citizens on the continent have “said enough is enough” and are demanding 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 push them to change their positions towards Tel Aviv..
Ghedi stressed that the EU's continued inaction against Tel Aviv could have repercussions on several levels, including adherence to international law, the coherence of European positions, and the credibility of the Union..
She explained that the partnership agreement clearly stipulates linking commercial privileges to respect for human rights, noting that ignoring this would undermine the Union's legal obligations..
(is over)
