On May 15th members of La Rete della Pace – an Italian coalition of 56 organisations and trade unions sent a letter to the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini with demand to take active steps to hold Israel to account over its violations of international law.
Onorevole Federica Mogherini
Alto rappresentante dell’Unione Europea
per gli affari esteri e la politica di sicurezza
Honourable High Representative,
The Treaty on the European Union (TEU) sets out that the EU’s external actions must be guided by the principles of democracy, the rule of law, the universality of human rights, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the UN Charter and international law.
As such, we, the undersigned human right groups, trade unions and solidarity organisations from Italy are writing to you to request that the EU adheres to the letter and the spirit of the TEU by implementing steps capable of holding Israel to account for its grave violations of international law.
Last summer Israel carried out a massacre in Gaza where more than 2,000 people were killed. The newely released reports by international and Israeli human right organisations reveal that Israel deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure during its latest assault on Gaza. In addition Israel continues to build illegal Israeli settlements on the stolen land and practice policy of forced transfer of Palestinian people.
In November last year over 300 human rights groups, trade unions and political parties from across the European Union have written to you with request to take action to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
In January this year 63 MEPs have called on you with the same demand. This request is in full conformity with the requirements of the Agreement, which provide that the “EU’s external action shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, i.e. democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for the principles of the United Nations” (Article 21 (1), and it is particulary based on the Article 2 clause of this Agreement, which states that both parties should respect human rights and democratic principles.
The failure to suspend the Association Agreement would be “de facto” a form of political support for Israel’s continued violations of international law, but despite such a flagrant violations Israel is still afforded preferential treatment to European markets and access to EU programs.
The EU policy of maintaining the “status quo” of close relations with Israel, it’s a behaviour completely out of step with the EU’s determination to act to hold other states to account for analogous violations of human rights and international law. The EU document « Restrictive measures (sanctions) in force » of July 2013 lists measures currently in force against some thirty countries. Israel’s policies represent much graver and persistent violations of international law and accepted international norms than the violations by many other countries against which the EU has taken measures.
Numerous UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the 2004 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice attest to this. The EU should play a leading role in the promotion of a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Peace that, as she herself stated, it could only be based on international law.
We urge you, Madam the High Representative, to intervene with utmost urgency to use all the means you have in your disposal to take action to ensure that:
• The EU will apply restrictive measures on Israel, including by suspending the Association Agreement, as a way to pressure Israel to comply with international law
• EU will meet its legal obligations not to provide support to Israel’s illegal settlements by banning trade and economic relations that sustain illegal Israeli settlements.
• The EU will exclude Israeli military companies from participating in EU research frameworks such as Horizon 2020.
Rome, May 15 2015
La Rete della Pace
“Rete della Pace” members: ACLI, ADL, AGESCI, ANSPS, Associazione di Cooperazione e di Solidarietà Internazionale AOI, Archivio Disarmo, ARCI, Arci Bassa Val di Cecina, Arci Verona, ARCS, ASC, Associazione Perugia Palestina, Associazione per la Pace di Modena, Associazione per la Pace Nazionale, AssoPacePalestina, AUSER Nazionale, CGIL Nazionale, CGIL Verona, CNCA, Comunità araba siriana in Umbria, Comunità Palestinese, Coordinamento Comasco per la Pace, Coordinamento per la Pace in Comune Milano, Encuentrarte, Fiom Cgil, Focsiv, Fondazione Angelo Frammartino Onlus, Fondazione culturale responsabilità Etica, IPRI – Rete CCP, Ipsia, Lega per i Diritti dei Popoli, Legambiente, Link2007 Cooperazione in Rete, Link – Coordinamento Universitario, Lunaria, Mezza Luna Rossa palestinese, MIR, Movimento europeo, Movimento non violento, Nexus Emilia Romagna, Per il mondo onlus, Peacewaves, Piattaforma ong MO, Rete degli Studenti Medi, Rete della Conoscenza, Rete della pace umbra, Tavola della Pace Valle Brembana, Tavola pace val di Cecina, Tavola Sarda della Pace, Tavola della Pace di Bergamo, U.S. ACLI, UDS, UDU, Uisp, Un ponte per, Ventiquattro marzo Onlus.