350 ex-ministers and diplomats urge EU to suspend Israel association agreement
Signatories say Israeli government has escalated 'illegal occupation policy' to 'intolerable level' while global attention is diverted
LONDON, United Kingdom (MNTV) – A group of 350 former European ministers, ambassadors and senior officials has called on the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel, accusing Tel Aviv of breaching human rights obligations in Palestinian territories and warning that planned settlement expansion threatens to permanently undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
In a joint statement Wednesday, the signatories said the Israeli government has escalated its “illegal occupation policy” and human rights violations to an intolerable level while global attention is diverted by the conflict in Iran.
They warned that planned settlement expansion in the E1 corridor — connecting East Jerusalem to Ma’ale Adumim — would effectively split the West Bank, and raised alarm over legislation passed by the Knesset on March 30 that they allege introduces the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners while exempting Jewish Israelis.
“This abhorrent legislation is redolent of an apartheid state acting without legal restraints,” they said.
The signatories argue that Israel is in breach of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which requires respect for human rights as a condition of cooperation.
“The current Israeli government violates these core EU principles with respect to Palestinians for whose welfare it remains legally and morally responsible as the occupying power,” the statement said.
They called on the EU to suspend the agreement fully or partially, halt trade with settlements, suspend military cooperation and expand sanctions and visa bans on individuals involved in repression.
The statement also accused the EU of applying double standards, drawing an explicit comparison between its response to Russia and its approach to Israel, saying the disparity has fueled perceptions of hypocrisy.
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