The European Union should suspend its trade and institutional ties with Israel to deter war crimes that amount to genocide in the Gaza Strip, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine has said.

“Europe is the main trading partner - which accounts I think for 30% of Israel’s trade - so it has a huge power and it should use that power. In the end, this is not an option, it’s an obligation because Article 2 of that association agreement foresees the suspension in case of violations of human rights,” she added.

Albanese said the EU’s reluctance to use the measures in its power to hold Israel to account perpetuates Israel’s impunity and reveals a “disconnect” between Europe’s political class and the large portion of European society that has persistently called for a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip.

She also said EU leaders need to take more concrete counter-measures against Israel, including revoking diplomatic recognition and targeted sanctions on government officials.

  • MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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    3 months ago

    in 2006 Hamas wins the elections so, if we accept the result, it seems that most of the civilians, who probably know what Hamas is/want, agree with them. To me this look like a free choice from the population and, like every choice, it has consequences.

    This year is 2024 and since 2006 there were no elections in Palastine since 18 years. Obviously some in Gaza agree with Hamas, but it was unpopulare before the war started, due to the already bad situation in Gaza.

    BTW, ending the suffering of the innocent palestinian civilians is easy: just ask Egypt to open their border and let the refugees in (like Poland did with the Ukranian for example) and help them (EU could also help Egypt to take care of them eventually). This way who remain in Gaza is fair game and the innocent civilians are safe. Oh yes, Egypt do not want Palestinians, like every other muslim country, so maybe they know what the facts are.

    Or Israel actually provides zones were civilans can take shelter and recieve the absolute basics necessary for life, such as food a clean drinking water. It is not like Israel has a lot of land right next to the Gaza strip, where that could be done. Obviously not perfect, but they then could return to the Gaza strip. Even just letting aid into the Gaza strip would be easy for Israel to do. Egypt actually does that.

    a two state solution (which incidentally was the solution proposed in 1947) was on the table a number of times and more often than not it was the Palestinians that rejected it. it is true however that also in Israel there were some opposition.

    The has not been the case in the last couple decades. Palestininians have been willing to accept Israel in the internationally reconginsed borders, but Israel is unwilling to remove its illegal settlements on the West Bank. Even the US say so. Obviously that would not stop all terrorism and Palestinians would not love Israel, but it is possible and the only way the conflict might end.

    Or maybe people will discover the inconvenient truth that it is in the open: that Hamas want their civilians to be killed by IDF so they can cry that IDF is bad and need to be stopped. (they already said it) After all it is the perfect strategy for Hamas: let us to kill all the innocent civilians we want and then hide behind ours when the enemy, inevitably, hit back. Do you think it is a good idea to allow this ?

    Obviously that is part of it, but Hamas is not blockading aid coming to the Gaza strip and again there are ways around this.