Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, has called on the European Union to suspend its trade and institutional ties with Israel in response to what she describes as war crimes amounting to genocide in the Gaza Strip. She believes that the EU has an obligation to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel due to the offensive violating human rights provisions. This move is seen as necessary to hold Israel accountable for its actions and prevent further atrocities in the region. Despite resistance from some EU member states, Albania argues that the suspension of the agreement is imperative under Article 2 of the association agreement, which allows for such action in cases of human rights violations.
Albanese highlights that the EU has a significant amount of power and influence over Israel, as it is the country’s main trading partner, accounting for around 30% of its trade. She argues that the EU must use this influence to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza and ensure that Israel faces consequences for its actions. She believes that the reluctance of EU leaders to take firm action against Israel perpetuates the country’s impunity and reveals a disconnect between the political class and European society, which has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. She suggests concrete counter-measures such as diplomatic recognition revocation and targeted sanctions on government officials to hold Israel accountable.
The special rapporteur points out that conditions for suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement were present before the latest conflict in Gaza, given Israel’s history of establishing settlements and ongoing annexation plans. She accuses Israel of subverting international law by using terms like “human shield” and “collateral damage” to justify its actions in Gaza. Her report has faced strong criticism from Israel, which has dismissed the genocide claims as “obscene.” Despite the rebuttal from Israel, calls to scrutinize EU funding for Israeli military companies have been raised, with concerns that EU funds may be indirectly contributing to Israel’s offensive operations.
Spanish MEP Manu Pineda has also criticized the EU for allegedly funding military ventures in Israel through projects like Horizon Europe, which have supported drone manufacturers providing technology to Israel’s Armed Forces. Pineda claims that EU funds have found their way to Israeli military companies despite regulations prohibiting EU funding for military and defense projects. He argues that the EU’s failure to ensure that its funds do not support Israel’s offensive actions is contributing to the bloodshed and suffering in Gaza. Pressure has been mounting on the Biden administration in the US and the German government to halt arms sales to Israel, with calls for a more ethical approach to arms exports that considers human rights implications.
The US and Germany are major suppliers of arms to Israel, with estimates suggesting that they provide around 99% of all arms the country receives from foreign governments. Germany, in particular, has faced accusations of facilitating crimes of genocide by selling arms to Israel, with Nicaragua bringing charges against Berlin in the UN’s top court. However, Germany has contested these claims, stating that they have no factual or legal basis. As the debate around arms sales and military funding continues, there is a growing push for greater accountability and responsibility in the international community to prevent further human rights violations and conflicts around the world.
