In response to the European Union’s (EU) consistent failure to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns said:
“It’s beyond shameful that a majority of EU member states, led by Germany and Italy, continue to block the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Countries committed to uphold international law must not remain silent while others actively undermine the very principles they claim to defend.
“As the current holder of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Ireland is in a powerful position to influence the EU’s course of action on Israel. It must seize this critical opportunity to help ensure that member states meet their obligations under international law. Ireland’s experience of colonization, famine and conflict, its leading role in international efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and its recent albeit limited progress towards banning imports of goods from settlements, give it a unique perspective and authority that should be used to seek accountability for Israel’s grave violations and to anchor EU policy on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) firmly in the protection of human rights.
