Over 110 Ex-MEPs Urge EU to Cut Trade Ties with “Israel”

By Staff, Agencies

Over 100 former members of the European Parliament condemned the starvation of civilians in Gaza as a war crime committed by the "Israeli" occupation entity.

In an open letter signed by 110 former MEPs on Tuesday, they urged the European Union to immediately suspend its Association Agreement with the entity, denouncing the EU's inaction in the face of ongoing atrocities.

“‘Israel's’ actions are nothing less than a war crime. This violates the fundamental human rights on which all EU Association Agreements with third countries are based, thanks to the European Parliament's efforts over decades,” the MEPs stated in the letter.

They said the failure of EU states to agree to such a proposal would expose their complicity in “Israel’s” war crimes in Gaza, emphasizing the necessity for concrete action against the entity and urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take decisive steps.

Additionally, the signatories criticized the belated decision by the European Commission in late July to propose a partial suspension of “Israel's” access to the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation program.

They said it was "too little, too late" in response to "Israel's" atrocities in Gaza.

In a post on X, Former European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell announced his support for the suspension of the EU's Association Agreement with "Israel", which governs the trading and political relations between the two parties.

He also said the failure to do so risks violating Article 265 of the Treaty through culpable inaction.

The EU’s Association Agreement with "Israel" has frequently been promoted as the most effective instrument available to the EU for compelling "Israel" to improve the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

In July, a coalition of 40 cross-party legislators urged the EU to halt its trade deal with "Israel" and to impose sanctions on the cabinet of Netanyahu.