EU-ISRAEL:


The EU violates its own Human Rights Commitments

Release of a new report by the EMHRN

Israel violates the human rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and discriminates against the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel. The European Union in its relations with Israel facilitates these continued violations and thereby disrespects its own human rights obligations and commitments.

In view of the EU-Israel Association Council on 13 December and the soon expected adoption of the Action Plans under the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network today makes public its research and findings on this issue in the report: “A Human Rights Review on the EU and Israel – Relating Commitments to Actions, 2003-2004”.

The report calls on the EU to:

· Urge Israel to accept the creation of a joint EU-Israel Committee on Human Rights in the framework of the association agreement.

Insist that Israel stop certifying some products from the Occupied Territories as originating from Israel and ensure that these products do not enjoy preferential tariff treatment. Such treatment is in breach of the territorial clause of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

ensure that entities from illegal settlements do not participate in any EU-Israel cooperation, such as scientific and technical research.

make increased and regular public reference to illegal actions carried out by the armed forces of Israel including destruction of Palestinian homes and infrastructure that cause the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories.

demand reimbursement from Israel for all additional costs incurred on the provision of humanitarian relief as a consequence of lack of access and mobility restrictions unlawfully imposed by Israel’s military authorities.

Ask Israel to ensure the full enjoyment by the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel of their human rights. The EU should also take effective steps to prevent their exclusion from equitable participation in the benefits of the EU-Israel cooperation.


An EMHRN delegation of Israeli and Palestinian human rights activists are currently in Brussels to meet a broad range of representatives of the EU Institutions and to present the report. The delegation welcomes the EU political declarations that call on Israel to respect international human rights and humanitarian law. However, the delegation highlights the lack of implementation of these declarations.

The Human Rights Review on the EU and Israel is published by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, a network of 80 human rights organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region - European, Arab, Israeli, Turkish - that are working to promote and protect universal human rights values.

For more information please contact:

Sandrine Grenier , Brussels Co-ordinator Marit Floe Joergensen, Information officer

Tel/fax: +32 (2) 513 37 97 Tel: +45 32 69 89 12

E-mail: sgrenier@euromedrights.net E-mail: mfj@euromedrights.net