Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has said that the European Union’s credibility is being damaged by its support of Israel.
Boylan was speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, and Boylan said the meeting should be used to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The Foreign Affairs Council will meet today in Brussels and several EU member states, including Ireland, have called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to be on the agenda.
However, Germany and Italy have indicated they would not entertain such an idea.
Boylan said, “Israel is violating human rights in Palestine, in Lebanon and in Iran and yet the EU has still not taken action.”
“After watching a live-streamed genocide in Gaza, illegal settler attacks in the West Bank and the introduction of racialised capital punishment, the EU must decide whether it wishes to have any credibility when they speak about human rights and international law.”
She said that suspending the Association Agreement is not a sanction, but a decision to “correctly apply the provisions of that Agreement, in particular Article 2 which clearly predicates the beneficial trading arrangements that Israel enjoys on respect for human rights.”
“Since the genocide in Gaza began, we have seen EU leaders refuse to uphold international law and their own Treaties and agreements,” she said.
The Dublin MEP has warned that the EU’s support of Israel has “profoundly damaged” their credibility throughout much of the world and will have “lasting consequences” for wider diplomatic relations.
“Human rights must be non-negotiable. Israel has crossed every red line and engaged in egregious breaches of human rights and international law,” Boylan said.
“EU leaders must stop pretending that they are dealing with a normal government.”
Boylan noted that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted the International Criminal Court and their ministers have “championed hanging based on ethnicity.”
“For Member States such as Germany and Italy, this Foreign Affairs Council represents a test of whether these countries can finally stand up to Israel and uphold the EU’s own agreements,” Boylan said.
“We do not need more statements of concern. We do not need more weak-willed condemnation; anything less than suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement will be an act of profound moral cowardice from which the EU may never recover.”