Israel/OPT: EU High Representative proposes import ban on illegal settlement products and suspension of political dialogue with Israel
"War in Gaza: we cannot continue with business as usual"
After a year of unheeded pleas by the Israeli authorities regarding respect for international law in the Gaza war, we cannot continue with business as usual. This is why I have proposed to EU Member States to ban imports from illegal settlements and to suspend the political dialogue with Israel. We will discuss these measures at the Foreign Affairs Council next week.
As we run out of words to describe the ever-worsening situation in Gaza, people there are running out of everything. In many parts of the Gaza Strip, there is almost nothing that could sustain organised human life. Northern Gaza, once home to more than one million people, has been emptied completely after several weeks of relentless shelling, destroying the last remaining health centres, shelters and schools.
Ethnic cleansing in Northern Gaza
With no aid coming for weeks, the remaining 400 thousand residents were eventually forced to leave at gunpoint. The few images that come out show an apocalyptic wasteland. It is not by chance that the words “ethnic cleansing" are increasingly used to describe what is going on in North Gaza.
What we see of the tragedy of Gaza is however only the tip of the iceberg since the strip has been sealed. There are hardly any journalists or international observers entering Gaza since more than one year. It is the longest information blackout ever imposed by a democratic state. In addition, there are reasons to believe that journalists have been targeted by Israeli Defence Forces. To this day more than 130 have been killed. [...]
After a few weeks, senior Israeli officials started speaking of a ‘new Nakba’, the displacement in 1948 of 700 thousand Palestinians from what became Israel. Many of these refugees fled to Gaza, where they make up two-thirds of the population. In January, twelve government ministers participated in a mass rally for the resettlement of Gaza. And last week, we heard that Northern Gaza had been emptied of civilians, who would not be allowed to return. Some of these illegal and immoral ideas are obviously starting to become reality. [...]
The list of pleas that fell on deaf ears in Israel is too long to recount
To heed international humanitarian law, to comply with binding orders of the International Court of Justice, to ensure humanitarian access, to agree to President Biden’s ceasefire proposal, to allow international journalists and UN-mandated investigators to enter Gaza… Looking back, the list of pleas that fell on deaf ears in Israel is now too long to recount.
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Applying international rules without distinction
Upholding the rules-based world order starts by applying its rules without distinction and defending the institutions mandated to implement them. This applies to the UN Secretary General, the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly as well as to the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, UNRWA and all UN Agencies.
In other situations where these international rules are routinely violated, we have put numerous sanctions in place – from visa bans and terrorist listings to import restriction and economic sanctions. Until now Israel has been spared from any meaningful consequences.
This has to change. This is why I have proposed an import ban on illegal settlement products, based on the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, similar to the existing import ban on products from occupied Ukrainian territories – because even-handedness is the lynchpin of Europe’s credibility.
I have also requested to the EU special representative for human rights an assessment of Israel’s compliance with its Association Agreement with the EU, which I will present to our Member States soon. Based on this assessment, I will propose to EU Member States to suspend the political dialogue with Israel. After a year of unheeded pleas, we cannot continue with business as usual.
After a year of unheeded pleas about the situation in Gaza, we cannot continue with business as usual.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) November 15, 2024
I have proposed to EU Member States to ban import of products from illegal settlements and to suspend the political dialog with Israel.
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