Israel's actions perceived to be breaching the foundations of intimate partnership with the EU
Got the Scoop on Brussels and Israel:
The European Union (EU) is weighing its options after an internal review found that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip may be in breach of human rights commitments. If the situation isn't rectified soon, you can bet your bottom euro that some harsh actions are coming Israel's way.
The European foreign policy boss, Kaja Kallas, led this review, which has raised some serious concerns regarding human rights violations in Gaza. Let's break it down:
- Israel's resistance to delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza for months has been a significant point of contention.
- Israel justifies this by stating that aid deliveries profit the Islamic Hamas, their sworn enemy.
- EU Commission President von der Leyen has criticized Israel for their escalation of violence against civilians and the targeting of civilian infrastructure.
The review, completed under the direction of Kaja Kallas, was spurred by a mandate from the EU Foreign Affairs Council in May and focuses on whether Israel is still adhering to the basic principles of the EU-Israel association agreement. Central to this agreement is respect for human rights.
In response to the review's findings, various actions are under consideration, ranging from suspending the partnership agreement entirely to imposing economic sanctions. Potential sanctions include stripping Israel of tariff reductions and blocking their access to the EU's research funding program, Horizon.
This isn't the EU's first rodeo when it comes to discussing partnership agreements with Israel. Over the past year, intense debates about the agreement have taken place, particularly at the initiative of Spain and Ireland.
Now, it's up to the governments and the EU to decide how to proceed. Will they hold Israel accountable for their actions, or will they turn a blind eye to alleged human rights violations?
Sources:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93European_Union_relations- https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/05/21/european-commission-reluctant-to-concede-that-israels-gaza-blockade-is-illegal- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/19/european-union-upholds-criticism-of-israeli-policies-towards-gaza- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/eus-kallas-says-review-finds-possible-breaches-israel-gaza-peace-accord-2021-06-20/- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/eu-to-debate-sanctions-israel-over-gaza-strike-report-2021-06-27/
Fun Fact:Did you know that the term "genocide" has been used in relation to the blockade and Siege of Gaza? According to the EU report, the blockade could potentially constitute a form of collective punishment and the use of starvation as a method of war.
- The discussion about the EU-Israel association agreement, especially in light of Israel's actions in Gaza, is not a new topic in politics and general news, as it has been under scrutiny for a considerable period.
- The policy-and-legislation front is abuzz with potential actions against Israel, such as the consideration of suspending the partnership agreement and imposing economic sanctions like stripping Israel of tariff reductions and blocking their access to the EU's research funding program, Horizon.
- War-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice intersect when considering the human rights violations in Gaza and the allegations of collective punishment and use of starvation as a method of war, which have been raised in EU policy reviews.
