BRUSSELS (Dispatches) – International human rights groups have condemned the upcoming EU-Zionist regime summit, saying that it would only legitimize the ongoing “apartheid” against Palestinians.
In a statement, Amnesty International warned that “Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians” and that “any cooperation must focus on dismantling Israel’s cruel system of oppression and domination”.
The EU is looking to reboot its relationship with the Zionist regime’s at Monday’s summit, the first between the two sides since 2012, largely due to its need to diversify its energy resources following the Russia-Ukraine war.
The summit, known as the EU-Israel Association Council, was cancelled by the occupying regime in 2013 after the EU issued a bombshell directive that all future agreements with the occupying regime would exclude the regime’s colonies in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Zionist regime entities looking to obtain EU funding would have to actively demonstrate that they have no direct or indirect links with the occupied West Bank, East Al-Quds or the Golan Heights.
While official EU policy on this has not changed, the occupying regime has decided to go ahead with the summit. However, human rights bodies are concerned that Brussels could be buckling.
“The Israeli authorities are subjecting Palestinians to land seizures, unlawful killings, forcible transfers and severe movement restrictions while denying their humanity, equal nationality and status,” Amnesty International said, regarding the upcoming meeting.
“The EU cannot claim shared human rights commitments with a regime perpetrating apartheid and which has in recent months shuttered the offices of renowned Palestinian civil society organizations,” Amnesty added.
Earlier this year, Zionist troops raided and closed the offices of seven Palestinian NGOs: Al-Haq; Addameer; the Bisan Centre for Research & Development; Defence for Children International-Palestine; the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees; the Union of Agricultural Work Committees; and the Union of Health Workers Committees.