Anti-Israel Petitions Signed by Israeli
Academics
The usual Israeli Academic Suspects sign a call sponsored by
bicycle riders for the EU to suspend trade with Israel
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Suspend-EU-Israel-Trade-Agreement?page=16
We call on
the EU to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement until Israel
respects human rights and International Law.
The EU is Israel's biggest
importer of goods, and its second biggest exporter. In 2006 the
total traded between the EU and Israel amounted to 23.5 BILLION
Euros.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement forms the legal basis for this
relationship which gives
Israel preferential trade terms with EU countries.
Article 2 of the Agreement states that these relations shall be based on
respect for human rights and democratic principles which must guide
internal and international policy.
The EU is therefore obligated under this Article to suspend the EU-Israel
Association Agreement whilst
Israel is in breach of human
rights.
The Peace Cycle has travelled to the
Occupied Palestinian Territories
and witnessed first hand the many abuses of human rights by the
Israeli Authorities, including:
Loss of freedom of movement of the Palestinian people by the
placement of checkpoints and earth mounds at strategic locations
within the Occupied
Territories, making travel between villages and towns often
impossible and inhibiting the movement of trade across the
territories.
Israeli-only roads that prohibit use by Palestinian cars and
passengers thereby making their journeys far longer than necessary,
and often impossible.
Demolition of Palestinian houses by the Israeli authorities
resulting in the heartbreaking loss of family homes and possessions,
and destroying their sense of security and belonging.
Theft of Palestinian land in order to build the separation
wall; a barrier deemed illegal by the International Court of
Justice, and which has served to further limit freedom of movement
and cause loss of trade, resulting in high unemployment and extreme
poverty levels.
Refugee camps where families have been waiting for sixty years
to return to their lost homes or to have compensation addressed.
The uprooting of millions of olive trees, a symbol of
Palestinian life, to make way for continuous Israeli settlement
building on stolen Palestinian lands, despite the settlements having
been deemed illegal and even though cessation of this activity is
clearly defined in the latest peace initiative at Annapolis.
Countless more acts of Israeli aggression towards the
Palestinian people, which continue daily, and remain unchallenged on
the pretext of security.
What the Peace Cycle has witnessed illustrates the abuses of human
rights that at different times over many years have been judged to
be illegal by international courts across the world. Yet the EU does
nothing visible to bring
Israel to account. Whilst this abuse goes on, the EU-Israel
Association Agreement has allowed trade with Israel to flourish,
with the addition of the EU-Israel Action Plan in 2005-2008 that has
allowed for even closer partnerships to develop.
We call for an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association
Agreement and any further trade between
Israel and EU Member States in
protest against Israel's continued violation of human rights of the
Palestinian people.
This measure of protest should be maintained until
Israel ends the illegal occupation
of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the siege of Gaza and
fully complies with international human rights law.
http://www.thepeacecycle.com/
The Israeli Academics among the
signed:
# 180:May 22, 2008, Moshé Machover, United Kingdom
# 286:May 22, 2008, Haim Bresheeth, United Kingdom
# 721:May 25, 2008, Dorothy Naor, Israel
# 790:May 25, 2008, Anat Matar, Israel
# 2339:Jun 10, 2008, Kobi Snitz, Israel
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