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PCHR welcomes European Parliamentary Resolution calling for Suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement

Date: 11 April 2002

Ref: 57/2002

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights welcomes the resolution of the European Parliament adopted yesterday by 269 votes to 208 which calls upon the European Union to suspend the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement in consideration of Article 2 of the Agreement.  Article 2 of the Association Agreement asserts that parties to the agreement must respect international human rights standards. 

The resolution adopted yesterday is the culmination of years of effort on the part on international, regional and Palestinian human rights and other non-governmental organisations who have long called for the activation of Article 2 in light of Israel’s ongoing gross and systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including war crimes, perpetrated against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Clearly, the need for immediate and effective pressure from the international community has reach an even greater level of urgency in recent days as Israel’s unprecedented military offensive against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank has continued.  PCHR, along with other Palestinian, Israeli and international NGOs, has consistently called upon the international community to exert pressure on Israel to ensure its respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention.  These calls have included appeals for the European Union to suspend the Association Agreement, and for other economic, diplomatic, cultural etc sanctions to be imposed on Israel.

PCHR welcomes this step as the first serious measure to be adopted by the European Union in recognition of its legal and moral duty to ensure Israel’s respect for international human rights and humanitarian law.  PCHR expects that the decision will be ratified and implemented without delay.  PCHR further calls on the other High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to take their own concrete steps towards ensuring Israel’s respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.