More than 350 former European officials, including ministers, ambassadors and senior EU figures, have called for the suspension of the EU’s association agreement with Israel over what they described as serious human rights violations against Palestinians.
In an open letter issued on Wednesday, the signatories said Israel continues, in their view, policies of illegal occupation of Palestinian land, pointing to ongoing settlement activity, violence, and worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
The signatories, including former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said the Israeli government is violating the core principles on which the European Union is founded, adding that it remains legally and morally responsible as an occupying power.
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They said these violations contradict Article 2 of the association agreement, signed in 1995 and in force since 2000, which requires respect for human rights and democratic principles as the basis of relations between the two sides.
The agreement provides the legal framework for bilateral relations and underpins trade cooperation, with the EU being Israel’s largest trading partner.
The signatories also criticised the EU for failing to act earlier, urging decisive steps amid rising tensions in the Middle East and what they described as widespread breaches of international law.
They added that the bloc’s lack of action towards Israel, compared with measures taken against other parties, reflects what they called a double standard.
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