New York, November 13, 2024—Ahead of their November 18 meeting, CPJ calls on European Union foreign ministers to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of Israel’s unprecedented attack on press freedom and ongoing abuses of international law.
The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with Israel, which includes respect for human rights as an essential element. However, EU member states have failed to agree on whether it should be suspended despite clear evidence of significant human rights violations.
The EU remains divided on openly and categorically condemning Israel for crimes under international law and has not taken effective action that would meaningfully contribute to stopping the press freedom crisis.
CPJ and 59 partners wrote to EU High Representative Josep Borrell and European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis on August 26, calling for the suspension of the agreement.
In a written response, the European External Action Service told CPJ it “keeps under constant review all agreements with third countries, and the principles and values upon which they are based.” It highlighted the need for “frank and open dialogue … [which] provides important mechanisms to discuss issues and advance our point of view.”
In a surprise move on November 13, Borrell wrote to EU foreign ministers calling for the suspension of the political dialogue of the agreement because of “serious concerns about possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.”
At least 137 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began, at least five of them deliberately targeted. Israeli forces have arbitrarily detained Palestinian journalists in both Gaza and the West Bank, fired on media offices in Gaza, and banned some foreign media outlets, including Al Jazeera, from broadcasting.
There are now almost no professional journalists left in northern Gaza to document what several international institutions have described as an ethnic cleansing campaign. The Israeli army has also prevented foreign media from entering Gaza except on tightly controlled press trips.
Editor’s note: This text has been updated in the sixth paragraph to include Borrell’s letter to EU foreign ministers.