The EU and Israel will maintain their preferential agreements on trade, despite the Gaza massacre. It is the main consequence of the EU-Israel Association Council that has been held on Monday in Brussels and that occurs following the request that Pedro Sánchez formulated a year ago and the then Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, of Review that agreement based on article 2, which establishes the obligation of the parties to comply with human rights. Despite the tens of thousands of civilian victims in Palestine, the 27 dragged their feet to take steps and did so after Benjamín Netanyahu breached the order of international justice for not attacking Rafah calling Israel.
At the meeting, which has taken nine months to occur, the EU has agreed a minimum position in which the situation whenalthough “deeply deplores the unacceptable figure of civilians, especially women and children, who have lost their lives, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation, especially caused by the insufficient entry of help in Gaza”, according to the document to which he has had access eldiario.es.
The text does not directly accuse Israel of having caused that blockade, which unleashed UN alarms, but it represents the government of Prime Minister Benjamín Netanyahu for his decision to prohibit by law the activity of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Thus, he condemns “any attempt to obstruct his ability to operate.” Spain has been the country, together with Ireland, which has most pushed to collect criticism of Israel’s performance, aware that ambition was limited by the equidistance of most European countries with Israel.
“There are groups, such as human rights defenders, journalists, NGOs or UNRWA members who have perished under Israeli bombs in Gaza and that cannot be left without clarifying,” he warned before the meeting the Spanish Foreign Minister, Spanish Minister, José Manuel Albares, who has asked for “new measures against violent settlers and all who want to damage the solution of two states.” Netanyahu has always opposed that possibility and his government has applied a policy that de facto makes the creation of a Palestinian state de facto.
Along the same lines, the position of the 27 is that it opposes “firmly to all the actions that weakens the solution of the two states”, among which he cites the expansion of illegal settlements and is at that point where He has sat at the table with a tougher position. “The EU reiterates its hard opposition to Israel’s settlement policy,” says the document, recalls that it will not recognize changes in the borders agreed in 1967: “The EU demands that Israel stop the continuous expansion of settlements.” “The EU harshly condemns the climb in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem,” he adds before pointing to the “violence of violent settlers.”
The EU also exposes support to the Palestinian authority to be done with the control of the territories of Gaza and the West Bank, and claims to cease the actions to weaken to said institution: “The EU asks Israel to support the Palestinian authority for facilitate his return to Gaza and release retained income ”by Israel [las ayudas y otros ingresos llegan a la Autoridad Palestina a través de Israel].
However, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has made it clear upon his arrival at the meeting that ignores EU calls and has justified the entry of Israeli tanks for the first time in many years in the West Bank, where the Troops develop a great military operation since January 21 in the north of the area. “What we are doing is what they call the West Bank and we call Judea and Samaria is to defend our security. They are military operations that take place there against terrorists, ”he said.
Previously, she had met with the president of the European Parliament, the popular Roberta Metsola, whom she has defined as “a true friend of Israel”, and has loaded against the Palestinian authority, to which she has accused of applying the policy of “paying for killing terrorists and their families. ”
The Israeli minister was aware before the meeting that he would face criticism. “It is legitimate that everyone has their point of view, so we are dialogue. We know how to face criticism, we are accustomed to receiving them, it doesn’t matter while they are not connected to delegitimization, demonization or double ratings, ”he said.
“The legislation in anti -terrorism or security to weaken fundamental rights and freedoms should not be abused. The EU asks Israel to allow access to Gaza from independent media, including internationals. The EU reiterates its support for human rights defenders, journalists and other information workers, ”he collects the text.
Albares, on the other hand, has admitted that the EU lacks ambition, but has valued that there is a “common position” that a few months ago saw improbable. “Today was an exchange with Israel, we have to reflect on how to get those principles that are collected in that agreement can be applied,” said the head of Spanish diplomacy. However, in several countries, such as Germany, Holland or in the team of the high representative, Kaja Kallas, they rule out that they will take steps in the direction of suspending relations.
The main criticism that until now had arrived from the community block together is the breach of the orders of international justice by Netanyahu. “Israel is bound by International Humanitarian Law and linked to the norms including, as an occupying power, the obligation to protect the population under occupation,” says the document, which does not expressly mention the more than 48,000 victims of Gaza, or to the more than 40,000 Palestinians who have had to leave their homes in the refugee fields of Ciosjordan, in which it is the greatest displacement of the Palestinian population Out of the Gaza Strip.
The Human Rights Watch organization asked Kallas and the EU Foreign Ministers to condemn “the atrocious crimes of Israel and other violations of international law” during their meeting on Monday. He also requested in a statement to review the association agreement with Israel, as requested informs Francesca Cicardi.
“The EU includes human rights clauses in its bilateral agreements for a reason; However, with Israel, these clauses seem optional. When celebrating this meeting, the EU is implying that everything remains the same, as always. This is not diplomacy, it is complicity, ”denounces Agnès Bertrand-Sanz, Oxfam expert.
After the meeting between the EU and Israel, about thirty Eurodiputados de los Verdes/Ale, including Jaume Asens (common) and Vicent Marzá (Compromís), and on the left, including Estrella Galán (add) and Irene Montero and Isa Serra (Podemos) have sent a letter to the head of diplomacy to demand the rupture of the association agreement. For its part, BNG parliamentarian Ana Miranda has criticized that Metsola received the Minister of that country.
Source: www.eldiario.es
