The coalition has also lobbied the European Union specifically, noting that the bloc has “consistently affirmed that the death penalty is cruel, inhuman and contrary to human dignity in all circumstances,” and that Israeli law violates “the right to life and protection enshrined in international humanitarian and human rights law, such as the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention against Torture.”
“Diplomatic engagement by the EU and its member states urging Israel to reverse course has so far proven ineffective. This horrific development occurs amid an ongoing man-made humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which a UN commission of inquiry, numerous Palestinian, Israeli and international organizations and independent experts have described as constituting genocide, and against the backdrop of the accelerated de facto annexation of the West Bank,” the coalition wrote, referring to the international court’s advisory opinion issued in July 2024. About the International Court in July 2024. Justice. “Therefore, the adoption of the death penalty law is part of a pattern of discriminatory policies and practices against Palestinians.”
The coalition continued:
In furtherance of these policies, Israel has already crossed red lines set by the European Union: advancing settlement construction in the E1 area, which breaks the territorial contiguity of the West Bank, with the aim of preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state; Ban on [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] attacks on its facilities, including schools and clinics built and run with EU contributions; expulsion of international NGOs through restrictive registration procedures; Forced eviction of the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem; Forced displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians and large-scale demolitions of Palestinian homes and infrastructure in the West Bank, including EU-funded projects; Continued impunity for violations committed by Israeli security forces and violence by state-backed settlers; Reports of widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners; restrictions on religious freedoms; Attacks on journalists; and denying access to European Union officials.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Callas, also mentioned it statement…The EU-Israel Association Agreement establishes respect for democratic principles as a fundamental element in relations between the European Union and Israel. A June 2025 EU review, based on Article 2 of the Convention, found that Israel had violated its human rights obligations by committing serious violations against Palestinians and violations of the laws of war, in both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
When the bloc refused to stop the trade deal on Gaza last year, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said: Named The decision “is considered a cruel and illegal betrayal of the European project and vision, which is based on supporting international law and fighting authoritarian practices, European Union rules, and the human rights of the Palestinians.”
“Nine months on, the time to act is long past due,” the coalition concluded on Thursday. “The EU must adhere to its stated principles and legal obligations by definitively suspending, as an immediate minimum measure, the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and adopting other measures.”
One of the political groups in the European Parliament, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D Group), also expressed its “deep concern after the Israeli Knesset approved legislation providing for the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism,” and lobbied the European Council, which It consists of Heads of state or government of the bloc.
“The Group of Socialists and Democrats calls on the European Council to urgently suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of Israel’s continuing and serious violations of Article 2 of the Human Rights Convention, which is fundamental to the partnership,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after the law was passed.
“Reintroducing the death penalty is a step backwards into the past and another blow to the values that underpin our partnership with Israel,” said Yiannis Maniatis, S&D Group Vice President for External Affairs. “We cannot and will not remain silent.”
“When a partner repeatedly ignores the warnings of both his friends and civil society, there must be consequences,” added Maniatis, a Greek politician. “It is time for the Council to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It is time to act.”
The statement by the Socialists and Democrats group came not only after the death penalty law was passed, but also amid the European Citizens’ Initiative collection Signatures demanding the suspension of the resolution in response to “Israel’s unprecedented level of killing and wounding of civilians, the large-scale population displacement, and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities” in the Gaza Strip. So far, more than 645,000 people from EU member states, out of the necessary one million, have signed this call.
Council of the European Union – which is component of national ministers from each member state – this week Issued A statement reiterating the EU’s “principled position against the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances,” condemning the Israeli law as a “dangerous regression,” and highlighting deep concerns about its “effectively discriminatory character.”
The Council said: “In line with our global efforts towards the universal abolition of the death penalty, the European Union urges Israel to adhere to its previous principled position and obligations under international law, as well as its commitment to democratic principles, as also reflected in the provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”
However, there have been no signs from the EU leadership about progress towards suspending the agreement in light of the law’s passage.
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