Slovenian Foreign Minister, Dimitrij Rupel with Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, at a joint press conference of the EU-Israel Association Council held in Luxembourg.
A
coalition of development, humanitarian, peace and human rights organisations
[1] expressed their intense disappointment at the absence of a strong emphasis
on improving conditions on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territory and
on human rights commitments in the EU’s declaration on relations with Israel.
The declaration presented at the EU-Israel Association Council in Luxembourg
yesterday opens the way to upgrading mutual ties but fails to effectively link
it to ending the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and to ensuring respect
for human rights throughout the occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel
itself.
The
coalition calls on the EU to take a clear and committed stance on all human rights
issues and to give much greater priority to improving conditions on the ground
in the occupied Palestinian territory during the upcoming negotiations process
in which the details of the upgrade will be hammered out.
Adam
Leach, Regional Manager for Oxfam International, said: "As Israel’s
pre-eminent trade partner, the EU must use the upcoming upgrade negotiations
process to ensure Israel ends the ever-worsening Gaza blockade, lifts movement
restrictions and halts settlement expansion in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem. Closer ties with Israel must be accompanied by tangible improvements
on the ground. The security of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians must be
the top priority driving EU policy towards both sides.”
Kamel
Jendoubi, President of the Euromediterranean Human Rights Network, added:
"The EU must be consistent in upholding its human rights principles in its
foreign relations, and Israel cannot be an exception to this rule. A weak or
ambiguous EU stance on human rights in relations with Israel sends the wrong
message also to other countries in the EU Neighbourhood, who could see it as a
license to ignore EU engagement with regard to their own human rights
records."
The
coalition further emphasises that the EU should use the upgrading process to
insist on Israel’s respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.
EU must also prevent any extension of the benefits of mutual cooperation to
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
For further information, please contact:
Martin
Konecny, Crisis Action, +32 (0)2 737 1498, +32 (0)484 601 283
Michael
Bailey, Oxfam International Jerusalem Office, + 972 (0)2 656 6234 ext 223, +
972 (0)572 233 014
Sandrine
Grenier, Advocacy Director, Euromediterranean Human Rights Network, +32 (0)486
280 695
William
Bell, Middle East Advocacy Coordinator, Christian Aid, +44 (0)7973827535
Koen
De Groof, Policy Officer, CIDSE, +32 (0)2 213 04 32, +32 (0)486 37 01 01
Merijn
de Jong, Coordinator Media & communication, UCP, +31627249753
The organisations in the coalition are:
Broederlijk
Delen, Belgium
CARE
International Austria
CARE
International UK
Christian
Aid, UK
Cordaid,
Netherlands
Diakonia,
Sweden
Euromediterranean
Human Rights Network
Oxfam
International
Trocaire,
Ireland
United
Civilians for Peace, The Netherlands
About us
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
is a network gathering more than 80 human rights organisations from 30
countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
www.euromedrights.net
Contact:
Sandrine Grenier, Advocacy director, +32 2 503 05 48,
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Marc Degli-Esposti, Communication Officer,
+45 32 64 17 16,
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