UN special rapporteur: EU is obliged to cut trade with 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Euronews
10 Apr 2024 20:48
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Francesca Albanese says the EU is obliged to halt its association agreement with "Israel" due to its human rights violations.

United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, speaks at a press conference during a session of the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 27, 2024 (AFP)

The European Union is obligated to suspend its association agreement with "Israel", due to the latter's human rights violations, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories Occupied Since 1967, Francesca Albanese told Euronews.

Albanese pointed to the "disconnect" between the European Union's political class and the public regarding "Israel's" aggression on the Gaza Strip. Earlier, the official had extensively detailed the crimes and human rights violations committed by "Israel" in a report she had submitted to the concerned international authorities, saying that if it were not for a word limit, her team would have written an "encyclopedia" about such genocidal crimes.

"Israel has the political, financial, and economic means to continue operating business as usual," she stressed.

"Europe is the main trading partner—which accounts I think for 30% of Israel's trade — so it has a huge power and it should use that power. In the end, this is not an option, it's an obligation because Article 2 of that association agreement foresees the suspension in case of violations of human rights," Albanese explained.

EU members suffer the fate of supporting genocide

The EU's continued support to the Israeli occupation and its genocidal war on Gaza has already resulted in a legal backlash against the bloc's individual states, as Nicaragua seeks to take Germany to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for aiding genocide.

Earlier on April 8, Nicaragua said that it is setting out its case against Germany at the ICJ for "facilitating the commission of genocide" against Palestinians, as it has been providing the Israeli occupation with military and financial aid.

In a 43-page submission to the court, Nicaragua states that Germany is breaching the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.

Nicaragua has requested five provisional measures, including that Germany "immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment."

It also urged the court to order Germany to "reverse its decision to suspend the funding of UNRWA."

On the other hand, the governments of Spain and Ireland have been critical of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, putting into question the bloc's partnership with the occupation.