EU Fails to Hold Israel Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

European Union Foreign Ministers Meet Over Israel Association Agreement

A meeting of EU foreign ministers took place in Luxembourg on Tuesday, where Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia pushed for a suspension of the European Union’s trade and cooperation pact with Israel. The proposal was met with opposition from Germany and Italy, which vetoed the move.

The push to suspend the agreement comes amid growing calls to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Human rights organizations and diplomats point to several factors contributing to the current disquiet over Israel within Europe.

Since October 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict in Gaza, with thousands more missing and feared dead under the rubble. The International Court of Justice has brought a genocide case against Israel, while Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are built on Palestinian land and violate international law.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, grants Israel lucrative privileges, including preferential access to the European market with low tariffs on industrial goods. The pact contains a strict human rights clause, which has attracted attention from activists.

According to EU data, trade between the bloc and Israel amounted to 42.6 billion euros ($45.3bn) in 2024, making it Israel’s biggest trading partner. A partial suspension of the agreement could directly impact about 5.8 billion euros ($6.1bn) worth of Israeli exports.

The primary obstacle to suspending this agreement lies in the EU’s complex voting mechanism and differing opinions among member states. The meeting highlighted the deep divisions within Europe over its approach to Israel, with some countries prioritizing economic interests and others focusing on human rights concerns.

Source: Al Jazeera