The EU\u2019s trade deal with Israel should be suspended until the Israeli government complies with international law, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ambivalent response of the international community to the litany of war crimes being carried out in Gaza is shameful. The UN Security Council is toothless; the UN General Assembly is powerless; and the EU is rudderless.<\/p>\n
\u201cIreland is one of only a small number of countries in the West to have condemned Israel\u2019s multiple breaches of international law. While words of condemnation are important, they are not enough and must be followed by action.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe EU is Israel\u2019s largest trading partner, with trade between the two amounting to more than \u20ac46 billion last year. Trade is governed by the EU Israel Association Agreement, which has an \u2018essential elements\u2019 human rights clause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that either side can unilaterally suspend the agreement in response to serious breaches of human rights. If Israel\u2019s destruction in Gaza is not sufficient to trigger this clause, then nothing ever will be.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Taoiseach has said that there is a difference of opinion among EU member states when it comes to the crisis in Israel and Gaza. That may be the case. But Israel is bound by the commitments it signed up to in its EU trade agreement \u2013 and those commitments, in relation to human rights, are clear and unambiguous. They are not a matter of subjective opinion, but rather legal obligation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am therefore calling on the Taoiseach to make a strong case for the suspension of the EU\u2019s trade agreement with Israel at the next European Council meeting. Ireland must use whatever influence it has to convince other member countries to help bring an end to the massacre in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael is also a participant in Horizon Europe, where Israeli institutions can apply for funding under this \u20ac95 billion research and innovation scheme. Access to this lucrative programme should also be immediately suspended.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, the Government must enact the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill as a matter of urgency.\u201d<\/p>\n
November 7, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The EU\u2019s trade deal with Israel should be suspended until the Israeli government complies with international law, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. \u201cThe ambivalent response of the international community to the litany of war crimes being carried out in Gaza is shameful. The UN Security Council is toothless; the UN General Assembly is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2059,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[408,400,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foreign-affairs","category-holly-cairns","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n