On 3 October, the European Union and Israel held an Association Council meeting for the first time in a decade. According to our colleague Jasper, this raises questions.
Two weeks ago, we welcomed Palestinian women's rights activist Islah Jad to Viva Salud. Islah is a professor at Bir Zeit University and president of the human rights organisation Bisan Center. When we asked her about European support for Palestinian rights, she replied laconically: « We are rather sceptical about the value of human rights and democracy in Western countries. Because when it comes to Israel, they always turn a blind eye.. »
The Association Council meeting between the European Union and Israel scheduled for 3 October makes this statement even more relevant. For the first time in ten years, Israel and the EU will sit down at the highest diplomatic level to strengthen their cooperation. According to the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, « Our shared culture and values have created a deep bond between Europe and Israel. The strongest bond we share is our belief in democracy and democratic values.«The fact that Israel has been violating international law and dozens of UN resolutions for decades, and that it has also been labelled an apartheid state by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, does not seem to matter.
Is it appropriate for the European Union to strengthen its relations with a country that commits large-scale human rights violations? For us, 47 Members of the European Parliament and dozens of other Palestinian and European civil society organisations, the answer is already a categorical no.
Repeated and intensified attacks
The Association Council is meeting at a time when Israel is intensifying its attacks on the Palestinian people. On 4 May, the Israeli Supreme Court gave the green light to the mass expulsion of more than 1,300 Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, in the southern occupied West Bank. This will be the largest forced eviction carried out by Israel since 1967. The EU and its Member States have condemned this decision as illegal, but in practice they have never followed through on their words. In doing so, they are helping to pave the way for a new annexation of Palestinian land.
Furthermore, since the beginning of the year, The Israeli army has already killed more than 140 Palestinians. Its forces have carried out repeated raids on Palestinian refugee camps and cities such as Jenin and Nablus in the occupied West Bank. These illegal raids have led, among other things, to, the murder of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May 2022. At the beginning of August, Israel also carried out a new series of heavy air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which has been suffering from a suffocating blockade for more than 15 years. During this process, Israel deliberately targeted densely populated areas and civilians. Forty-nine people, including four women and 16 children, were killed. Another 360 people were injured.
Palestinian organisations targeted
Finally, Palestinian organisations that document these human rights violations are facing increasingly fierce attacks. Israel discredits them, arrests their staff and attempts to drain their funds. Our Palestinian partners Bisan Centre, Al Awda and Health Work Committees have thus collectively lost over £2.5 million in external funding over the past decade. Mainly in remote areas, Awda thus reaches 24,000 fewer patients and Health Work Committees 67,000 fewer patients.
In October 2021, Israel placed six Palestinian human rights organisations on a list of terrorists. Several European countries, including Belgium, recently refuted Israel's allegations of terrorism and condemned this decision in clear terms. Yet, barely three weeks later, Israeli occupation forces raided the offices of the six targeted Palestinian social organisations and the Health Work Committees and sealed their entrances. Israel clearly cares little about the condemnations of the European Union and its member states. The resumption of the Association Council will only be seen by the Israeli government as implicit approval of its illegal actions.
Cancel the Association Council
Strong action is therefore needed. There are many levers available. The European Union remains Israel's largest trading partner and has just signed a gas agreement with the country in June. One of the main aims of this agreement is to get rid of Russian gas, as Russia is violating international law and the sovereignty of another country. Where else have we heard this before? If the EU takes its statements on human rights and democracy seriously, it must abandon its policy of «double standards». Consistent sanctions against Israel would be a first step in the right direction.
Our own country, and in particular Foreign Secretary Hadja Lahbib, can already make a difference. If we leave the Belgian seat empty at the EU-Israel Association Council table in Brussels, the Association Council will simply be cancelled. What are we waiting for?
This text was published on the Le Soir website 30 September.
In October 2021, Israel unjustly placed six Palestinian social organisations, including our partner Bisan, on a list of terrorist organisations. Global criticism ensued and a solidarity campaign was launched. #StandWithThe6 quickly gained momentum.
