In a joint statement published on Thursday 2 April, a group of 31 NGOs led by Amnesty International called on the European Union to suspend the trade part of its association agreement with Israel, following the Knesset’s adoption of a law introducing the death penalty for “terrorists” (see EUROPE 13840/16).
The new legislation allows the death penalty for “whoever intentionally or out of indifference causes the death of an Israeli citizen [...] with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the rebirth of the Jewish people”
The NGOs denounce a discriminatory text that “de facto” targets Palestinians, as the wording deliberately excludes Israeli settlers in the West Bank. As well as flouting basic legal safeguards, the law allows Israeli military courts to pass sentence by a simple majority.
Faced with this “significant regression", the signatories urge the European Commission to go beyond mere diplomatic condemnation and apply the measures proposed at the end of 2025 - the end of tariff preferences and the suspension of financial support to Israel, among others (see EUROPE 13711/1) -, pointing out that respect for human rights is an essential clause in bilateral relations between the EU and Israel. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)