BRUSSELS, June 23, 2025 (WAFA) – 114 international civil society organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called on the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, citing its genocide against Palestinians and other violations.

This came in a joint statement issued by the 114 organizations on Monday, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers to review the suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel.

The organizations emphasized that a fair review of the Association Agreement must conclude that Israel has "seriously violated" the human rights clause.

Claudio Francavilla, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's EU Institutions office, explained in a press statement that all attempts at dialogue with Israel have largely failed.

He pointed out that pro-Palestinian protests have continued for months across Europe, and that people cannot ignore the horror, crimes, and brutality they see daily on social media.

Francavilla said that a review of the Association Agreement will be meaningless if it is not followed by concrete measures, including suspending the trade aspect of the agreement.

He emphasized that Israeli human rights organizations have observed that the rate of punishment for perpetrators of crimes in the West Bank does not exceed 3%, indicating that the Israeli judicial system does not seriously pursue these violations.

The Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel, which entered into force in 2000, constitutes the legal framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two parties.

Article 2 of the agreement stipulates that the partnership is conditional upon "a commitment to human rights and international law."

K.T