Brussels: More than 350 former European officials, including ministers, ambassadors, and senior European Union officials, have called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing what they described as grave human rights violations against Palestinians. In an open letter signed on Wednesday, the officials highlighted Israel's policies of subjugation and illegal occupation of Palestinian land, pointing to ongoing colonization, violence, and legislation targeting Palestinians, along with the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the signatories, including former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, stressed that the Israeli government violates the fundamental principles upon which the European Union is founded. They affirmed that the EU remains legally and morally responsible as an occupying power.
The officials noted that these violations directly contradict Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which stipulates respect for human rights and democratic principles as the basis for bilateral relations. The agreement, signed in 1995 and entering into force in June 2000, constitutes the legal framework governing relations between the two sides and forms the basis for trade cooperation, with the European Union considered Israel's primary trading partner.
The signatories held the European Union responsible for failing to take action at an earlier stage, calling for decisive steps in light of escalating unrest in the Middle East and widespread violations of international law. They pointed out that several European Parliament members had previously called for a similar stance, but these calls did not receive a response amid divisions among member states and political caution regarding the imposition of sanctions on Israel.
The former officials considered the EU's failure to act toward Israel, as compared to measures taken against other parties, reflective of a policy of double standards. This call comes at a time of growing pressure within European political and human rights circles to review relations with Israel, in light of rapidly evolving developments in the occupied Palestinian Territory.